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Millions in Renovations Planned for Atlanta Memorial Park

May 1st, 2014

The City of Atlanta’s third largest park now has some private support and is looking toward millions of dollars of renovation.Broadcast Version

Atlanta Memorial Park in Buckhead trails only Piedmont Park and Chastain Park in size, but it much less well known. You likely know the area, comprised of Bitsy Grant Tennis Center, Bobby Jones Golf Course and a small park area along Peachtree Creek, but people rarely call it by its proper name.

Atlanta Memorial Park’s three-year-old private conservancy has just hired its first executive director, Catherine Spillman. “The city government is having a problem with finding the funds to be able to maintain these precious parks,” Spillman told WABE. “So that’s why you’re finding a lot of the public-private partnerships coming into existence.”

The Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy will soon embark on a multi-million dollar fundraising campaign to fund its master plan which is estimated to cost somewhere between $12 million and $18 million.

The first phase includes plans to restore tree canopies and increase connectivity between the areas of the park and surrounding neighborhoods.

The conservancy has presented a draft master plan to the City. It includes environmental work, including flood mitigation and features that, if fully realized, would be more visible: a golf course redesign, a new clubhouse for the golf course and tennis center to share and more parking. The existing golf course clubhouse would be retained and repurposed.

For more information and to read the draft master plan, visit the Atlanta Memorial Park Conservancy’s website.