Box 18, Folder 24, Document 31

Box 18, Folder 24, Document 31

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NEWSLETTER OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
FOR URBAN RENEWAL























Vol, 5 No. 3 Atlanta, Georgia March 1967

FOUR ROCKDALE REDEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS ARE All four proposals
VERY GOOD, PERSELLS TELLS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE for the redevelopment

of the Rockdale
urban renewal project received when bids were opened March 15 offer excellent
potentials, Lester H. Persells, Atlanta Housing Authority redevelopment director,
informed our executive committee March 22, Said he: "Of the 14 requests for
documents upon which to make bids, we received only four proposals. We cannot
go wrong on any of them, All are very good proposals from responsible developers.
All bidders are from out of town, but all have local associates. We feel very much
encouraged by what is happending in Rockdale, You might say that an area that
nobody seemed to want, first was sold for nearly a million dollars (A fixed price of
$896, 000 was established for the area.) Now we have four bidders trying to break
down our doors to get in and carry on redevelopment of approximately $20, 000, 000,
All four proposals offer good site plans, and good architectural plans."

Mr. Persells explained that all proposals center on providing 1500 units of
221D3 housing for low and moderate income families, Two proposals call for
cooperative sales housing to be included. He listed the bidders as David Rosen,
New York; Marvin Warner, Cincinnati, Ohio; Douglas Arlen Organization, New
York; and Robert Chuckrow, New York, He pointed out that all four bidders have
records of outstanding past performance,

OUR COMMITTEE WILL BE ASKED TO HELP Along with a number of other
IN ROCKDALE REDEVEOPMENT SELECTION civic and professional organi-

zations, our committee will
be asked to help in making the final selection from the four proposals to redevelop
Rockdale, Mr. Persells said. He explained that when the bids were opened, each
bidder was given ten minutes to explain his proposal, but no questions were per-
mitted, The plan to determine the ultimate choice is to allow each bidder one hour
to explain all details of his bid, at meetings to be held within the next two or three
weeks, Our committee will be invited to participate in these meetings at which the
bidders will be questioned on the proposals and their explanations of the proposals,
Mr, Persells emphasized that the Atlanta Housing Authority is determined to ex-
pedite action on redevelopment of Rockdale, The schedule calls for final selection
of the developer within 60 days, Then the developer is to get construction under
way within 12 months and completed within 48 months. He cautioned that such a
speedy schedule could be slowed up by time required for federal processing of
221D3 applications, This usually consumes 270 days but he expressed hope that this
could be accelerated. Mr. Persells also pointed out that FHA probably would not
permit over 500 units to be constructed at one time,

REDEVELOPMENT AREA EMBRACES 157 ACRES; Mr. Persells further explained

SHOPPING CENTER, CHURCH SITES INCLUDED that the area in Rockdale
offered for sale and redevelop-

ment totaled 157 acres, with nine acres reserved for a regional type shopping center.

Two church sites also are specified. AHA already has reserved one church site.

The existing school is to be enlarged, as is the existing County Health Center.

Answering a question from Executive Committeeman Richard H, Rich about adjacent

housing, Mr. Persells pointed out that land sold or being offered for sale under

the same conditions as Rockdale included 13 acres in University Center (bids to

open April 12) and 7,6 acres in Rawson-Washington (bids to npen May 1), Also

in the Q & A session, he explained that the nature of the Rockdale terrain, along

with market angles and community acceptability had contributed to the long delay

in Rockdale.
=2~

BANKER JACK GLENN ASSUMES POST To fill the position left vacant by the
AS HOUSING AUTHORITY COMMISSIONER death of John O. Chiles, on March 20

Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. administered
the oath of office to Jack F., Glenn to the Board of Commissioners of the Atlanta
Housing Authority. Mr. Glenn since 1951 has been assistant president of the
Citizens and Southern National Bank, Mr. Glenn is a native Atlantan and following
his graduation from Georgia Tech in 1932, Mr. Glenn held a number of positions
with the Coca-Cola Company before becoming associated with Courts and Company,
investment bankers, He was a general partner in this firm for several years before
assuming his present high executive position with the C & S National Bank, For
many years, My, Glenn has been active in civic and charitable affairs, During
WW 2 he served as a lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve. He is married
and the father of four children, Appointment of Mr. Glenn brings the Housing
Authority Board to full strength, Other commissioners are Edwin L, Sterne,
chairman, George S, Craft, J. B. Blayton (a member of our executive committee)
and Frank G, Etheridge,

HOUSING RESOURCES GROUP RECEIVES The Housing Resources Committee

59 PROPOSALS TOTALING 11,490 UNITS has received 59 proposals, Col.
Malcolm D, Jones, city supervisor

of inspection services on loan to the committee as staff associate, reported to

our executive committee. The 59 proposals include 11,490 housing units, which

he separated as follows: reasonably firm proposals, 3372 units; probable, 4237

units; under consideration, 2489 units; doubtful, 1392 units. Col. Jones added

that the reasonably firm category included 1140 units of public housing presently

under construction or in planning, He listed them as 650 in the McDaniel Street area

of the Rawson-Y ashington project; 140 adjacent to Perry Homes. Under the new

leasing program 144 units will be leased as they become vacant, He also reported

that since last October 654 units have been rehabilitated. Said Col. Jones: 'We

will not be able to make the goal set by Mayor /llen for 1967 but by combining

the 1967 and 1968 figures, we hope to be able to reach the quota set for the two

years." He explained that a total of 1322 units will be available in 1967 which

will be short of the year's quota, but the 5133 units in sight for 1968, would be

233 more than the 1968 goal. The combined total still would be 3345 short of

the two year goal but the committee hopes to close this gap, Col. Jones said.

Commenting on the figures report, Chairman Sommerville pointed out that the

McDaniel and Thomasville units had been in the making a long time.

FIELD OFFICES HAVE MORE RESPONSIBILITY To meet the changing challenges
IN REORGANIZED HOUSING “UTHORITY SETUP of our expanding urban re -
newal program, the Atlanta
Housing Authority is putting into effect a revised line and staff system of operations,
Lester H. Persells, AHA redevelopment director, toid our executive committee,
March 22, Explained Mr. Persells: '' The purpose of this reorganization is to
decentralize operations and put more responsibility on the field (project)offices.
The plan is for the director of a project to be responsible for all that is going on
in that project. This has been tried out in West End and has proved very success-
ful. The central office will exercise overall supervision and will provide technical
advice and assistance. The central office also vill handle special relocation situ-
ations, but relocation in general will be under the supervision of the project director.
As we see it, this new plan of operation will be very helpful in the Model Cities
Program."

OUR SUBCOMMITTEE TO RESUME CONFERENCES As Atlanta's ''CIP"' enters

AS "CIP" PROGRAM SPEEDS TO COMPLETION the home stretch leading to
its June completion, our

subcommittee will resume work conferences to evaluate the ''CIP" surveys and assist

in making final recommendations. The subcommittee, headed by A. B. Padgett,

now fully recovered from recent minor surgery at Emory Hospital, will hold its

first work conference in Committee Room 4, City Hall, at noon April 5, Chairman

Sommerville, Director Howland and Secy. Dodds will attend also, The con-

ferences are being resumed at the request of George Aldridge, "CIP " director,