Atlanta City Council members are looking beyond an ongoing battle with the oft-criticized Peachtree-Pine Homeless Shelter, which has been treated like an infected thorn in the backs of the mayor and Civic Center developers. The council has voted in favor of moving forward with a feasibility study to assess the possibility of converting the building into a fire or police station, according to Atlanta Business Chronicle.
The building has been housing homeless folks for nearly 20 years, but the city and others have been pushing for years to evict the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless. In 2010, the nonprofit Ichthus Community Trust bought the building, foreclosed on it, and the Task Force has been fighting eviction through a series of lawsuits ever since. Task Force Executive Director Anita Beaty told Atlanta Business Chronicle one-quarter of the homeless people currently housed there are women and children.
Council members voted 13-1 to spend $50,000 on the study. Councilwoman Felicia Moore, who voted against the ordinance, was wary of the city council getting in the middle of ongoing legal action, and managed to add an amendment requiring council approval for the sale of the property.
· Atlanta eyeing conversion of homeless shelter to police, fire operations [Biz Chron]
· Civic Center Sees Hurdles with Movie Studio, Peachtree-Pine [Curbed]
· Mayor: Let's Take Down Peachtree-Pine by Eminent Domain [Curbed]
· Homeless Shelter: We are NOT a Cesspool of Disease [Curbed]
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