Community Celebration with Food, Music and Fun on Saturday, May 14
Atlanta (May 6, 2011) – The City of Atlanta will re-open the newly renovated D.H. Stanton Park in the Peoplestown neighborhood as part of the Atlanta BeltLine with a community celebration on Saturday, May 14 at 10:30 a.m. Members of the community are invited to join local government officials, including District 1 City Councilmember Carla Smith, Atlanta BeltLine representatives, Peoplestown neighborhood leaders and members of the philanthropic community for the celebration. Mayor Reed broke ground the park’s renovation on March 27, 2010 as one of the newest parks on the Atlanta BeltLine.
“This is a significant milestone for the Atlanta BeltLine and a real cause for celebration for the Peoplestown community,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “Not only will D.H. Stanton Park provide a beautiful and safe environment for residents and visitors alike, but it will also be the first energy-cost neutral park in the City of Atlanta. D.H. Stanton Park will serve as a best-in-class model for other cities to follow.”
“This is an extremely exciting moment for the neighborhood of Peoplestown and the City of Atlanta,” said City Councilmember Carla Smith. “With the re-opening of D.H. Stanton Park, Peoplestown is home to a newly polished jewel and one of the nicest parks on the Atlanta BeltLine and in the City of Atlanta.”“This park is a demonstration of the City’s commitment to build and maintain great greenspaces for our neighborhoods,” said George Dusenbury, City of Atlanta Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. “With the Atlanta BeltLine we are creating and restoring first-class parks, which will enhance the quality of life for all of Atlanta.”
“We are grateful that we were able to work with the community and our partners to build one the first Atlanta BeltLine parks at the highest quality,” said Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. President and CEO Brian Leary. “This park is not only a great asset to the community, but it is a sustainable amenity that will be a model for other new parks across the city and the country.”
“Investing in the community through public-private partnerships lies at the heart of the Atlanta BeltLine, and D.H. Stanton Park is a wonderful example of Atlanta’s dedication to building a more livable city, said Atlanta BeltLine Partnership Executive Director Valarie Wilson. “Neighborhood parks provide residents with convenient outdoor resources that promote better health, and judging by the enthusiasm in Peoplestown, D.H.Stanton Park will become a great community resource.”
The community celebration, which will run from 10:30 in the morning until 12:30 in the afternoon, will have free food, music and activities for children and many local organizations will be in attendance.
D.H. Stanton Park will be the first energy-cost neutral park in the City of Atlanta, and among the first in the country, through the installation of photovoltaic solar panels that act as a shade structure at one of the park’s entrances. The new park replaces what was a small playground with a new playground, a splashpad with a commissioned work of public art at its center, a pavilion and a brand new little league-size baseball diamond, made possible through a generous contribution from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.
Other funding came from City of Atlanta Park Improvement Bonds, the Atlanta BeltLine TAD, and a donation from the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership Capital Campaign, which was used to purchase three parcels of land to create another entrance on the park’s east side.
About the Atlanta BeltLine
The Atlanta BeltLine is the most comprehensive economic development effort ever undertaken in the City of Atlanta and among the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment projects currently underway in the United States. The Atlanta BeltLine is a sustainable redevelopment project that will provide a network of public parks, multi-use trails and transit along a historic 22-mile railroad corridor circling downtown and connecting many neighborhoods directly to each other. Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI), formed by the Atlanta Development Authority, is the entity tasked with planning and executing the implementation of the Atlanta BeltLine in partnership with other public and private organizations, including City of Atlanta departments. The Atlanta BeltLine Partnership (ABLP) is a non-profit organization committed to raising funds from private and philanthropic sources to support the Atlanta BeltLine, working with the community and partners to raise general awareness and support, and serving as a catalyst to mobilize resources to address social concerns. For more information on the Atlanta BeltLine, please visit www.BeltLine.org.
CONTACTS:
Ethan Davidson, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.
(404) 614-8325, edavidson@atlbeltLine.org
Sharon Davis, City of Atlanta Dept. of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs
(404) 546-6767, sadavis@atlantaga.gov
