Chattahoochee Brick Co. team shares project history, timeline at open house

Key Points Consultants on the Chattahoochee Brick Co and Atlanta Riverlands project discussed the historical archeological and architectural plans for the project at a locality open house on Nov The project will include a society greenspace riverfront trails and a memorial to the brick company s history of convict leasing The next citizens engagement event will be on Jan The unit behind the forthcoming Chattahoochee Brick Co and Atlanta Riverlands project in West Atlanta kicked off their neighborhood engagement series on Nov with presentations and an open house that shared the site s history detailed the project s scope and gathered population feedback Representatives of the City of Atlanta s Office of Design in the Department of City Planning landscape architecture firm Scape MASS Design Group New South Associates archeology firm Jones Archeology consulting firm and public engagement firm Chrysalis Lab spoke at English Park Recreation Center about their contributions to the project which will include a citizens greenspace enhanced trails along the Chattahoochee River and a memorial to the history of the site A rendering of the Atlanta Riverlands trail Rendering courtesy of the Department of City Planning The Chattahoochee Brick Company owned by former Atlanta Mayor James W English supplied bricks for the construction of industrial buildings and city of Atlanta infrastructure The factory utilized leased convict labor after the abolition of slavery under the th amendment which still legalizes slavery as a punishment for a crime Primarily African American men who were arrested under petty or dubious charges worked at the factory under brutal and sometimes fatal conditions The buildings on the site were demolished in and the City purchased the -acre property in Anthony Knight the City s African American History Coordinator for the project detailed this history during Saturday s presentation while also acknowledging the indigenous Muscogee history that preceded the European colonization of the land Evidence of the indigenous history of the site as well as prospective cemeteries and remains will be further uncovered by New South Associates and Jones Archeology and protected when necessary This project is really one that will endeavor to encompass as much of the Chattahoochee Brick Company site as is humanly attainable Knight announced It is not only about James English it is not only about making bricks It is U S history How do we use the site to tell multiple stories How do we use the site to in specific way heal the transgressions of the past and use this site as that connective tissue from those generations of individuals to us who are here and responsible for this information in current times Following the presentation attendees were invited to speak directly with the project s band at an open house to ask questions and share insights into their own desires for the project Photos by Katie Burkholder Saturday s event was the first of five society engagement events throughout the process of the project Existing conditions of the site and area outreach strategies will be shared on Jan archeological findings and the memorialization process will be shared on April concept alternatives for the site and trail alignments will be shared on July and the preferred concept for the site will be presented on Oct To sign up for details about upcoming events and to learn more about the project visit atlcitydesign com chattahoocheebrickandriverlands Related stories Tallest tower in three decades tops out in Midtown City leaders celebrate new ADA-accessible boardwalk at Dunwoody Nature Center The post Chattahoochee Brick Co band shares project history timeline at open house appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta