Historic Adair Park in Southwest Atlanta
Angel Poventud’s vision for an abandoned bungalow in Southwest Atlanta came to fruition as a place to host community meetings, candidates for office and couch-surfers from around the world.
As a Capitol View resident of nearly 20 years, Neda Abghari has often ventured into nearby Adair Park, gazed upon the Academic Gothic architecture of George W. Adair School, and wondered what it used to be, below the surface, on a deeper level than classroom education.
Built in 1912, the school was the community’s central hub for decades, a relic of a time before school cafeterias, when kids were sent home for lunch each day, laughing, teasing, chasing each other en route. The school closed about 45 years ago, as surrounding neighborhoods tumbled into blight, and the building functioned as central offices and meeting space for Atlanta Public Schools until the roof sprung leaks in the 1990s—an issue that six layers of tarps failed to resolve. Abghari’s visits to the old school in its most exposed, dank, and weather-ravaged state were disheartening. Read more >
Incredible spotlight on our neighbors Adam and Becca Stanley and their impact on our community.
Read more on Curbed >
The Rollerson House in Adair Park, completed in 1890. Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta
ADAIR PARK – This is a story about what happens when you say “Yes.”
‘Yes’ instead of “It’s not my place,” or “It’s not my business,” or “It’s not my problem.”
In this case the yeses came from a couple who just wanted a cute house for not a lot of money. “It was an inexpensive house that we could afford to buy.”
Becky and Tim O’Mara sit on their front porch. The porch was what sealed the deal on their affordable fixer upper in the middle of Adair Park.
Virginia-Highland? You’re way too late, my friend. Old Fourth Ward? You’re lucky to find an affordable apartment. Inman Park? Keep playing the lottery. If you’re looking to buy a starter home along the Atlanta Beltline, turn your back to the Eastside Trail and head to southwest Atlanta, where strong neighborhoods along the under-construction Westside Trail — Capitol View, Westview, West End, and Capitol View Manor to mention a few — are seeing vacant houses turn back into homes and new residents join longtimers.
Adair Park Residents,
As mentioned at the last Adair Park Today meeting, Councilmember Shepherd’s Office and Park Design has invited Adair Park residents to come and voice their thoughts, ideas and concerns around the re-design of Adair Park II.
The meeting will be held on January 14th, at 2PM, at 233 Peachtree Street, 17th Floor.
We’ve been encouraged to bring our top three ideas for improvements to the park. Please contact Nell Brimmer, Chair of Friends of Adair Parks at parks@adairpark.com.
Changes, including growing volumes of vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle travel along Northside Drive, one of our most important state routes in Metro Atlanta, are leading to the need to reassess how the corridor between I-20/Whitehall Street and I-75 can be improved to better serve regional and local needs. GDOT is currently studying the corridor and has already held an open house to solicit community feedback on potential changes. Want to represent Adair Park in the process? There will be an opportunity to engage as a member of the Citizenship Advisory Committee in 2016. Please email Sam Sanu or Erick Fry about your interest at northsidecoridor@dot.ga.gov. This is an important process that will affect our neighborhoods along with many others, please consider being a voice for our community! Thank you to our neighbors who attended the open house and provided initial feedback to GDOT.
The CIF Board is a great way to support our neighbors complete amazing projects in NPU-V! During 2015, Elise Blasingame and Becky Katz served as Adair Park’s representatives on the Board. Please consider nominating yourself and/or others to serve for 2016! See details and application below:
Dear NPU-V Neighbor,
It is our desire to invite you and others you may know across the NPU-V neighborhoods to apply
to become an Advisory Board Member for the Community Investment Fund of The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Atlanta Civic Site. The Atlanta Civic Site (ACS) is pleased to kick-off the 2016 Community Investment Fund (CIF), The Atlanta Civic Site partners with community members to fund resident-led projects in NPU-V neighborhoods that focus on ACS’s priority areas: Education
Achievement, Neighborhood Transformation, and Family Economic Success.
The Role of Community Investment Fund Advisory Board Members
The Board will review, select and manage funding for community projects, with support from ACS staff. Please note that Board members and groups they lead are not eligible to apply for Community Investment Fund grants; individuals interested in applying for funding should not apply for board positions. We will distribute more information about the grant application process once the Board has been assembled.
Below are some additional guidelines to consider before applying to the Board:
• The board will be comprised of a maximum of 13 people. We seek representation from
all NPU-V neighborhoods;
• We ask that you disclose affiliations with groups that are currently active in NPU-V.
During the grant selection, Board members must recuse themselves from the decision making process if an organization that they are affiliated with applies for funds;
• We are committed to assembling a Board that represents the diversity of the community. Emerging leaders or those who are new to community work are encouraged to apply. We are especially seeking to include some youth and young adult members this year;
• Board members will receive training necessary to carry out their responsibilities. No prior experience is required;
• Board membership will require a time commitment of 5-10 hours per month on average. This includes a required orientation, monthly meetings/workshops, and additional time for working with grantees;
• We are requesting a commitment of at least one year, beginning in February 2016. Board members terms are renewable annually, and they may serve for up to 4 years.
The ideal applicant is detail and deadline-oriented, has a strong commitment to NPU-V, and an interest in developing his/her leadership capacity. Semi-finalists will be interviewed the week of January 11th by a selection committee.
