Just one mile northwest of South Downtown is a 16-acre park re-development project that will impact the neighborhoods of Vine City. Modeled after the recent successes of Atlanta’s Historic Fourth Ward Park, the engineering / architecture / environmental services firm of HDR was hired to lead the design of Rodney Cook Sr. Park. This transformative project represents a collaborative design effort between The Trust for Public Land, the City of Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation, the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management, The National Monuments Foundation and the community.
The park – which is boarded by Joseph E. Boone Boulevard, Walnut Street, Spencer, Street, Thurmond Street and Elm Street – has been designed to alleviate the flooding by capturing and storing up to 10-million gallons of stormwater, while creating a vibrant community destination and ultimately revitalizing the neighborhood. Rodney Cook Park should do for Proctor Creek what Historic Fourth Ward Park did for Clear Creek.
Vine City will soon be connected to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium + Home Depot Backyard complex by a brand new pedestrian bridge that traverses Northside Drive. The neighborhoods of Vine City and English Avenue are also being impacted (to the west) by the opening of the Westside Trail (Sept 2017) and the acquisition of the Kudzu Line (Aug 2018). To the east, these neighborhoods are being affected by the development boom taking place in West Midtown and along the Marietta Street artery as well as on the Georgia Tech campus.
Speaking of the Beltline, the neighborhoods of English Avenue and Vine City were recently added (as Beltline neighborhoods) to Subarea 10 as part of the work that is being done to update that master plan.
(*) On 9/26/18, the Atlanta City Council’s Finance Committee voted to delay action on a proposal to condemn six parcels of land needed to build the park as originally envisioned. It is also possible that the name of this park will be changed before it is opened.
UPDATES
The park – which is boarded by Joseph E. Boone Boulevard, Walnut Street, Spencer, Street, Thurmond Street and Elm Street – has been designed to alleviate the flooding by capturing and storing up to 10-million gallons of stormwater, while creating a vibrant community destination and ultimately revitalizing the neighborhood. Rodney Cook Park should do for Proctor Creek what Historic Fourth Ward Park did for Clear Creek.
Vine City will soon be connected to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium + Home Depot Backyard complex by a brand new pedestrian bridge that traverses Northside Drive. The neighborhoods of Vine City and English Avenue are also being impacted (to the west) by the opening of the Westside Trail (Sept 2017) and the acquisition of the Kudzu Line (Aug 2018). To the east, these neighborhoods are being affected by the development boom taking place in West Midtown and along the Marietta Street artery as well as on the Georgia Tech campus.
Speaking of the Beltline, the neighborhoods of English Avenue and Vine City were recently added (as Beltline neighborhoods) to Subarea 10 as part of the work that is being done to update that master plan.
(*) On 9/26/18, the Atlanta City Council’s Finance Committee voted to delay action on a proposal to condemn six parcels of land needed to build the park as originally envisioned. It is also possible that the name of this park will be changed before it is opened.
UPDATES
- Photos: After delays, Vine City’s Rodney Cook Sr. Park poised for winter debut -- Curbed Atlanta, 10.16.19
- $40 million pond reassuring Vine City residents worried about flooding -- CBS 46, Feb 2021
- Rodney Cook, Sr. Peace Park to officially open June 29 -- AJC, June 2021
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