(ATLANTA, Geor.) — A few months after Atlanta began looking at ways to penalize owners of abandoned properties, the city is now moving forward with a plan involving five properties that have sat vacant for years.
In June, we reported on the city’s plans to use its blight tax, which can raise taxes on qualifying blighted properties by up to 25 times the normal amount. That story focused on Campanile Plaza, the abandoned Midtown building at 1155 Peachtree St. that had raised safety concerns among nearby residents.
Now, the city is taking a more direct approach with five properties.
On Aug. 18, Mayor Andre Dickens’ administration asked the Atlanta City Council to begin the condemnation process for:
533 English Avenue NW
748 Neal Street NW
293 Sunset Avenue NW
699 Joseph E. Boone Boulevard NW
2795 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway NW
The five properties are on Atlanta’s Westside. The city says the properties have remained blighted for years and that the proposed condemnations are part of Dickens’ Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative.
At 293 Sunset Ave., neighbors have described the abandoned property as an "eyesore" that has been sitting for decades.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
Another property, 2795 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, is a former Texaco gas station that has been closed for roughly 15 years.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
On Aug. 25, the five properties went before the City Council’s Community Development and Human Services Committee. The committee recommended that the city move forward with the condemnation requests.
The move does not mean the city owns the properties yet.
If the full City Council approves the requests, the city can begin the condemnation process. Atlanta says that process can include appraisals, notifying property owners, and, if needed, court proceedings.
The city’s August 18 announcement makes clear that the resolutions would authorize the city to begin the process but would not immediately transfer ownership of the properties.
The move comes as Atlanta continues working out how to use the blight tax it approved in 2024. A City Auditor review released in February found problems with the rollout, including unclear responsibilities and procedures for identifying properties and notifying owners.
For these five properties, Atlanta is now moving from the blight tax to another tool: condemnation.
To add to or correct information in this report, please contact me at mia.s@lead4earth.org.
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