Chamblee54

Last November, PG went on a beltline walk that ended near Edgewood Avenue. After the walk, a car was parked nearby, for the trip to the start of the walk. The car was parked next to a vacant lot, that was being cleaned up by a group of volunteers. The plan was to make a community garden called “Artichoke Bliss” on the land.
The word at the time was that the land was owned by Ebenezer Baptist Church. The historic church was the home pulpit of Martin Luther King Sr. and Jr. The church was supposed to be happy with the work on the vacant lot.
It is now February, and the lot has received a lot of attention. Volunteers have spent lots of time cleaning it up, planting trees, and building paths. And now, an organization called Intergenerational Resource Center has claimed ownership of the land. IRC wants to put a parking lot in the space.
It is too early to see how this will turn out. IRC appears to be politically connected. If push comes to shove, IRC would appear to have the advantage.
A service called “Kudzu” rates businesses and services. This is what they say about IRC.
“This is a multi-racial, multi-generational haven for adults with mental and physical disabilities. The staff really care about the clients, and the clients care about each other. It is a Christian facility, so might not be for those of other persuasions.”
The address of IRC is 444 Edgewood Avenue. This is an office building at the corner of Edgewood and Boulevard.
PG is sad about what is happening, but not surprised.
AB is in the heart of the historic “Sweet Auburn” district. This was the business home of the Atlanta Black community, in the days before integration. A look at the friends box on the AB facebook page shows one African American person, out of 182. People coming in to a neighborhood to do good deeds are not always welcome.