Atlanta Community Discussion Thread

[Atlanta3000]

Pine Street Homeless Shelter - My Opinion

To all the SSP Members, I respectfully disagree with your opinions. How often do we still hear racism does not exist today and unemployment in minorities is not a result of racism? Yet in one the largest metro regions in the Country/South, two of our largest counties: Cobb and Gwinnett will not let the MARTA into large employment centers because of racism.

Homelessness is often perceived as a choice, similar to the perception of the unemployed. Unfortunately, these political talking points are from the Republican Party. They try to lay blame on the homeless and unemployed as to the reason Entitlement spending is spiraling out of control. Albeit they refuse to point to the fact the US Government is collecting less taxes from Corporate American and the Top 10% than at any point in our country's history. Shockingly the want even lower taxes.

I personally want the Pine Street shelter to stay, because I want it to be right everyone's face. I don't want this to be a case of out of sight, out of mind. If you do a little research, you will quickly find out the majority of the homeless have medical/mental issues that have not been treated. Most importantly, a large percent of the homeless are Veterans.

There is fix here folks - Demand the people running the shelter to hand out a trash bag to each recipient asking for food. As soon as the person comes back with a full bag, they are able to come in and eat. Problem ------> Solution.

[jpk1292000]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

Pine Street Homeless Shelter - My Opinion

To all the SSP Members, I respectfully disagree with your opinions. How often do we still hear racism does not exist today and unemployment in minorities is not a result of racism? Yet in one the largest metro regions in the Country/South, two of our largest counties: Cobb and Gwinnett will not let the MARTA into large employment centers because of racism.

Homelessness is often perceived as a choice, similar to the perception of the unemployed. Unfortunately, these political talking points are from the Republican Party. They try to lay blame on the homeless and unemployed as to the reason Entitlement spending is spiraling out of control. Albeit they refuse to point to the fact the US Government is collecting less taxes from Corporate American and the Top 10% than at any point in our country's history. Shockingly the want even lower taxes.

I personally want the Pine Street shelter to stay, because I want it to be right everyone's face. I don't want this to be a case of out of sight, out of mind. If you do a little research, you will quickly find out the majority of the homeless have medical/mental issues that have not been treated. Most importantly, a large percent of the homeless are Veterans.

There is fix here folks - Demand the people running the shelter to hand out a trash bag to each recipient asking for food. As soon as the person comes back with a full bag, they are able to come in and eat. Problem ------> Solution.

There is no question that the homeless need treatment but the shelter at Peachtree and Pine is run horribly. That's why it needs to be shut down. The Atlanta Mission Shelter near Centennial Olympic Park is much better run and the Peachtree and Pine shelter needs more accountability and to be run like the Atlanta Mission.

[RocketSurgeon]

That shelter is a disease-ridden cesspool. You can't honestly think it's a good place for anyone to be. What problem is it solving?

[Libertarian]

That's prime real estate. If that area could be developed properly and moved up the food chain, the increase in property taxes could pay for a state-of-the-art model shelter. I'd propose the area be designated an enterprise zone and bonds issued to build a decent well-managed shelter nearby where people can actually receive support and help for their problems.

[echinatl]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

Pine Street Homeless Shelter - My Opinion

To all the SSP Members, I respectfully disagree with your opinions. How often do we still hear racism does not exist today and unemployment in minorities is not a result of racism? Yet in one the largest metro regions in the Country/South, two of our largest counties: Cobb and Gwinnett will not let the MARTA into large employment centers because of racism.

Homelessness is often perceived as a choice, similar to the perception of the unemployed. Unfortunately, these political talking points are from the Republican Party. They try to lay blame on the homeless and unemployed as to the reason Entitlement spending is spiraling out of control. Albeit they refuse to point to the fact the US Government is collecting less taxes from Corporate American and the Top 10% than at any point in our country's history. Shockingly the want even lower taxes.

I personally want the Pine Street shelter to stay, because I want it to be right everyone's face. I don't want this to be a case of out of sight, out of mind. If you do a little research, you will quickly find out the majority of the homeless have medical/mental issues that have not been treated. Most importantly, a large percent of the homeless are Veterans.

There is fix here folks - Demand the people running the shelter to hand out a trash bag to each recipient asking for food. As soon as the person comes back with a full bag, they are able to come in and eat. Problem ------> Solution.

Nobody here has ever said any of the things you mention so you are not disagreeing with anyone here. Nobody has a problem with homelss shelters in the city. You just raised a bunch of points that don't need raising on this board. Based on your post I don't think you have ever even seen the shelter. Why don't you take a look at any Atlanta Union Mission, a well run shelter, and then take a walk down Juniper by Peachtreen and Pines and then come back and tell us all what you think. Maybe talk to the people that live and work in the immediate area to hear what this "shelter" does to our city.

[Student]

One wouldn't even know the Atlanta Union Mission was a homeless shelter. Peachtree Pine has the homeless aimlessly wandering and congregating around the surrounding blocks... Like the Tenderloin area of San Francisco

[GeorgiaPeanuts]

http://www.decaturish.com/2014/09/at...ree-ordinance/

Some of the highlights are:

-Tax credits for planting indigenous trees vs ornamental non-indigenous trees
-More trees required in parking lots
-Trying to make preservation of older trees more desirable than simply planting replacement trees
-Allowing the Tree Preservation Fund to purchase property to turn into greenspace (Currently fund can only use funds to plant and maintain trees)

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by Atlanta3000

Pine Street Homeless Shelter - My Opinion

To all the SSP Members, I respectfully disagree with your opinions. How often do we still hear racism does not exist today and unemployment in minorities is not a result of racism? Yet in one the largest metro regions in the Country/South, two of our largest counties: Cobb and Gwinnett will not let the MARTA into large employment centers because of racism.

Homelessness is often perceived as a choice, similar to the perception of the unemployed. Unfortunately, these political talking points are from the Republican Party. They try to lay blame on the homeless and unemployed as to the reason Entitlement spending is spiraling out of control. Albeit they refuse to point to the fact the US Government is collecting less taxes from Corporate American and the Top 10% than at any point in our country's history. Shockingly the want even lower taxes.

i 100% agree with what you're saying here. however, it's obvious that anita beatty doesn't have the ability— or refuses to do what needs to be done— to run a homeless shelter. unlike some other development wonks who would like to see that building completely abandoned by any homeless facility, i would be okay if an agency came in and started a new shelter.

honestly i think our city is not doing anywhere near enough for the homeless as it should. unfortunately the city has an ass-fucking-backwards law where it cannot dedicate any money to helping the homeless. it is absolutely ridiculous that we can't dedicate some money to help these people find mental health care, a job, and a place to live.

all that being said, the peachtree-pine shelter doesn't help anyone. it gets the people who go there, who really need help, into awful situations where they are getting sick from diseases and addicted to drugs they never thought of trying. they need to either kick anita beatty out and start a new shelter, or start a new shelter elsewhere and kick her out. either way, she needs to be kicked out. she can't— or doesn't want to— do her job.

[Tuckerman]

I think many of us are on the same page re the Pine St. Shelter. We, as citizens, do have an obligation to help reduce the misery of the homeless and hopefully provide them with a better life. In any case, we have examples of shelters that run efficiently and provide the services necessary and are not a detriment to their neighborhood. As long as well-meaning individuals continue to "rescue" this shelter and its current leadership we will have a problem.

[Libertarian]

Any comment on this comment?
https://www.facebook.com/graysondaug...52331281016470

[forj]

Originally Posted by Libertarian

Any comment on this comment?
https://www.facebook.com/graysondaug...52331281016470

from reading the letter the Mayor is saying city council members dont have a right to request for records? but public citizens do. I guess Kasim is saying she would have to put in a request through the Open Records Act. backing Felicia on this one. she has fought for more transparency, and a against corruption in the city of atlanta government.. she's a great advocate for the community

here is the letter. what really gets me is his tone. very unprofessional and downright nasty


this is supposed to be public information. the Mayors office is providing incomplete data to Felicia and other council members who are trying to investigate city funds and spending. there is no reason the council should be denied access to this data.. i get the feeling we need an independent investigation of the Mayors office and city government finances

[smArTaLlone]

This bodes well for even more of the proposed projects to move forward in short term.

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/r...-still-no.html

More than three years have passed since this multifamily development cycle began, and signs of an apartment bubble are difficult to detect.
Rents and occupancy rates continue to rise even as new supply enters the marketplace.

The occupancy rate during third quarter 2014 was 97.8 percent, and the average monthly rent was $1.63 per square foot, a year-over-year increase of almost 11 percent.

Robust apartment demand is evidenced by the lease-up velocity of new developments, which is strong in all submarkets and for all product types. High-profile apartment communities in Midtown and Buckhead have been well received, but so have developments in other areas of intown Atlanta.

[RocketSurgeon]

Does anyone know anything about the Peach Building (1655 Peachtree)? What was it originally, what is it now, and most importantly what's the history of the giant peach on top?

From what little I dug up, I think it was an office building, but balconies were added at some point and it looks more like a residential building now. I couldn't find any info about the peach which is what I'm most curious about.

[trainiac]

Originally Posted by RocketSurgeon

Does anyone know anything about the Peach Building (1655 Peachtree)? What was it originally, what is it now, and most importantly what's the history of the giant peach on top?

From what little I dug up, I think it was an office building, but balconies were added at some point and it looks more like a residential building now. I couldn't find any info about the peach which is what I'm most curious about.

That peach and the one on top of the IBEW building by Turner Field are thanks to Taz Anderson. He also did the "fake" Olympic torch at 3rd St.

[RocketSurgeon]

Originally Posted by trainiac

That peach and the one on top of the IBEW building by Turner Field are thanks to Taz Anderson. He also did the "fake" Olympic torch at 3rd St.

Thank you, that led me to exactly what I was looking for. It sounds like the peach was added to the building as a billboard in the mid-90s.

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/s...age=all&r=full

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by RocketSurgeon

Thank you, that led me to exactly what I was looking for. It sounds like the peach was added to the building as a billboard in the mid-90s.

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/s...age=all&r=full

RocketSurgeon, The Peach was originally the regional HQ's for Mutual of New York. We lived here briefly when I was a kid, and there used to be a red neon M.O.N.Y. sign on top.

[RocketSurgeon]

Originally Posted by atlantaguy

RocketSurgeon, The Peach was originally the regional HQ's for Mutual of New York. We lived here briefly when I was a kid, and there used to be a red neon M.O.N.Y. sign on top.

Sounds better than a giant peach, heh. Looks like they might be condos now.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by RocketSurgeon

Sounds better than a giant peach, heh. Looks like they might be condos now.

the building is abandoned, no condos. it's boarded up. the only thing that keeps the current property owners going is the billboard, which is known as the most conspicuous in the atlanta area.

[RocketSurgeon]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

the building is abandoned, no condos. it's boarded up. the only thing that keeps the current property owners going is the billboard, which is known as the most conspicuous in the atlanta area.

Oh. I saw this and assumed the conversion must have happened since it has the balconies now:

http://www.southeastrebusiness.com/a.../feature1.html

Did they go under during construction because of the recession, or did someone else add the balconies earlier?

If that building is still sound it's going to be a gold mine someday. Those views must be great.

[(four 0 four)]

Originally Posted by RocketSurgeon

If that building is still sound it's going to be a gold mine someday. Those views must be great.

I snuck onto the parking deck several years ago and took this shot. I'm not sure I want a condo dangling over the connector or someplace with rotating signs rumbling away on top and on the back of the building.


A lot of work was done to the building and I recall the developer was going to ask $400,000+ for the penthouse...ambitious.