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CITY OF .ATLANT.A CITY HALL June 7, 1968 ATLANTA, GA. 30303 Tel. 522-4463 Area Code 404 IVAN ALLEN, JR., MAYOR R. EARL LANDERS , Admin istrative Ass istant MRS . ANN M. MOSES, Executive Secretary DAN E. SWEAT, JR. , Director of Governmental Liaison MEMORANDUM To: Mr. Dan E. Sweat, Jr. Director of Governmental Liaison On May 8 and again on May 24 and 25 a team of consultants from ABT A s sociates and Daniel, Mann, Johnson and Mendenhall from Cambridge, Massachusetts, under contract with HUD, conducted a survey of Atlanta, as one of 25 cities, in interest of Experimental Housing, preferably in Model Cities areas, or at least in close proximity to Model Cities areas. Similar surveys were being conducted simultaneously by two other consultant teams, each assigned 25 additional cities, as Phase I of HUD 1 s special E x perimental Housing program. The mission of the team is to report to HUD by June 15, 1968, its recommendations of cities and specific projects in those cities for HUD to invest $60, 000, 000 during a two year period on Experimental Housing projects, to get underway as soon as possible, and in any event by Spring, 1969, at the latest. Phase II (development) of the program is to be carried out by a prime contractor to be selected by HUD. On May 6, Mayor Allen responded to a letter from Mr . Ralph H . Taylor, A s sistant Secretary of HUD, stating that Atlanta is interested in the E x p e rime ntal Housing program; offered to cooperate with it ; and reque ste d that Atlanta be inc2.uded in the list of cities to be selected for this project. It is comte mplate d that the r esults of thes e e x perimental proj e cts in s e lect ed cities will guide the direction fo r dev e lopme n t, th ro u gh HUD , o f t he P re s i d e n t 's p r ogram for 6 , 000 , 000 low - in c ome dwelling unit s over a ten -ye a r pe r iod , fo r whi c h the S e nate recently app r o ved 5 b i ll i on dollar s . �Mr. Sweat Page T wo June 7, 1968 I escorted members of the survey team about the city on both visits and assisted in arranging interviews for them with various City officials and prominent businessmen in Atlanta. I have a list of most of those with whom they talked and notes on some of the interviews. I feel that the team accomplished as much as could reasonably be expected during such a short period and that its members were generally pleased with what they learned about conditions in Atlanta and progress being made in the low-income housing program here. With respect to Model Cities, Mr. Johnson informed them that no specific site for new housing had yet been selected in the Model Cities area and that he was reluctant to even suggest a site, until such had been cleared with the Model Cities Executive Board. In response to queries from the team as to when this could be done, Mr. Johnson further e x plained that if policy determination is made at top City level, he thbught he could present the matter to his E xe cutive Board and obtain its approval within a couple of days or so . M r . Johnson w a s d efinite that such site should rtot b e ae uh• d and d e v e lope d thr ou h th - Hous 'ng Author ity und r no rmal Ur ban Ren wal processes ; that to do so would require so m u c h time and be inv olved so much in F ederal red tape, he thought the entire idea might as well be abandoned. D u ring discussion with Mr. Gladin, Mr. Gladin told the c onsultant s that a ny site to b e s e l ected for accelerated advance acquisition would have to be in the Cooper -Glenn area, as that area is slated to be the first Urban R enewal project in the Model Cities area. I personally disagree with the theory that the first experimental housin g proj ect in Model Cities should be in the Coope r - Glenn area. I feel that a more centr a lly lo cated and prominently situated s ite could and should be selected and obtained through some form of advance acquisition ; and that this would give a greater boost to Model Cities and benefit the C ity as a whole more than selection of a site in the Cooper-Glenn area for this purpose. �Mr. Sweat Page Three June 7, 1968 Since Model Cities is to be developed under direct superv1s10n of the Mayor and the City of Atlanta and not as a super Urban Renewal area; and due to the interest and pressure which HUD is now directing to experimental housing, I am of the opinion that authority could be obtained from HUD for early acquisition of almost any reasonable site which the City might designate in the Model Cities area. I feel that (1) approximately a four block area (about 10 acres) centered on the intersection of Connally Place and Crumley Street, S. E. or (2 ) a similar size area centered on the intersection of Reed and Love Streets, S. E. , would provide a suitable location for early acquisition for experimental housing and would cause a minimum of displacement (which will eventually have to be done any way ). This is not likely to be done , however, without specific guidance and direction from the 1\/rayor's Office. Both of the locations indicated above have been shown to and discussed with Jim Wright of the Model Cities staff and their location marked on a map turned over to him. In this connection I call your attention to marked portions {page 3 and 4 ) of the attached copy of Minutes of the Housing Resources Executive Committee meeting of May 2, 1968. I recomme nd that the Model Cities staff be direct e d to c ause s e l e ction soon of a site for housing (preferably experimental) and that formal request be made as soon as possible to HUD to authorize such acquisition, subject to eventual application of such Federal financial assistance as might e ventually apply in the Model Citie s area. Sin ce r e ly, M a l c olm D. H o u s ing Coo rdi:na t or MDJ :fy Encl : Minutes H RC meeti ng, M a y 2 , 1968 �