Atlanta City Council Approves $1.17M Land Purchase for New Buckhead Park

The Atlanta City Council approved legislation on Monday to allow the city to purchase approximately 2.54 acres of land to create a new public park on Lenox Road in Buckhead.

National nonprofit organization, The Conservation Fund, originally purchased the 2.54 acres to create the new park at 3162 Lenox Road. However, the organization has agreed to sell the land to the city for an amount not to exceed fair market value. The city’s purchase price, closing costs, environmental due diligence costs and site cleanup costs are estimated to be $1.17 million.

Funding for the property will come from the city’s Park Impact Fee North Fund. Additional infrastructure will be funded by Park Impact fees, Public Safety Impact and Transportation Impact fees.

"Initial development will be limited to demolition of an existing residential structure, removal of debris and measures necessary to make the site safe and secure," according to a release from the City of Atlanta.

The Reed Administration and the City of Atlanta’s Office of Parks applauded the Atlanta City Council for the decision.

“Purchasing the property on Lenox Road is consistent with the City’s goals of greenspace acquisition, preservation and park expansion,” said Commissioner George Dusenbury. “This acquisition also will move Council District 7, the district with the lowest inventory of parkland, one step closer to goals provided in the district’s new greenspace plan. Mayor Reed’s administration, the Office of Parks and the Atlanta City Council is committed to working with the community to collaborate on the park’s design.”

In a release, the City of Atlanta described the property:

The property, which is located within walking distance of thousands of residences in the Pine Hills neighborhood and the densely populated Lenox Road corridor, is treed with mature stands of bamboo and has a creek running through it. The park will eventually undergo a master planning or visioning process, including collaboration with the community in order to map out future uses and stewardship.

“I’d like to thank Mayor Reed and Parks Commissioner Dusenbury for this $1.17 million-dollar investment,” stated Atlanta City Councilmember Howard Shook, who sponsored the legislation, in a news release. “This is a huge step forward in our effort to have everyone in Buckhead live or work within a 10-minute walk to a park.”