In February, Microsoft announced it would break ground on a 90-acre campus in Grove Park on Atlanta’s Westside. Back then, WABE heard from the elected president of the Grove Park Neighborhood Association, Brandon Pierre-Thomas.
Since then, Pierre-Thomas has been coordinating talks between the big tech company and concerned legacy residents, many of who expressed fear of displacement in glittering community benefits meetings.
As a liaison, Pierre-Thomas said the relationship between residents and Microsoft doesn’t have to be adversarial. More than 4 months later, he stands by that—and told WABE he gets the impression they are still in the “research phase.”
“I understand that when Microsoft made the decision to come to Grove Park, it essentially started the catalyst of the negative aspects of gentrification,” Pierre-Thomas said.
“But honestly Microsoft, at least from my perspective, has stepped in and tried to assist with the neighborhood functions and be neighborly as much as they could.”
