Atlanta Through the Archives

Howell Mill Road and Collier Road Site

Summary

The first concrete proposal for public housing in Northside was at a site bordered by Howell Mill Road and Collier Road. This proposal was quickly rejected; the Board of Alderman voted 12-3 to rezone this site from residential to commercial, eliminating any potential of its use for public housing. This site was a contentious issue for local organizations: the Atlanta Regional Open Housing Coalition publicly called on Mayor Massell to reserve the decision, and an unnamed neighborhood group fought for years against rezoning this site, only to quickly backtrack once it was recommended for public housing.