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CITY OF ATLANTA_ July 25, 1969 CITY HALL ATLANTA, GA. 30303 Tel. 522-4463 Area Code 404 IVAN ALLEN, JR., MAYOR R. EARL LANDERS, Administrative Assistant MRS. ANN M. MOSES, Executive SecretMy DAN E. SWEAT, JR., Director of Governmental Liaisor. The Honorable George Romney Secret.:1ry of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Washington, D. C. _D ear Mr. Secretary: In November, 1966, we be gan in Atlanta a concentrated effort to stimulate the developn1ent of 16,800 units of low and moderate income housing to provide safe and sanitary shelter for thousands of less fortunatP citizens . This effort, called "The Mayor's Housing Resources Program" was supported by the U. S. Depart1nent of Housing and Urban Development, private banks_, developers, churches, civic groups and individual citizens at all level s . This program has produced results. As of thi s date, 21,013 of the five year goal of 16, 800 units have been completed, are under construction, or in planning . The most r ece nt status report is attached for y _o ur information. Within the n ext few we eks , the single most significant developme nt generated by our programs will be placed under construction. It is the East Lake Meadows turnkey project, w hich is the lar ges t tu.rnkey public housin g deve lopment in America with comprehensive community facilities. Because of the significance of this undertaking and b ecause it embodies so many of the aspects of community housing action whic h you so magnificently support, all of u s in Atlanta - City Hall, the builders, our housing officials, and citi zen s in general - f ee l that we want to share the b eginnin g of thi s proj ect w ith you. �Secretary Romney Page Two July 25, 1969 _, I have been asked to is sue you an official invitation from all of us to inaugurate construction of this most important housing development for poor people. If your schedule will permit you to come to Atlanta in the next few weeks after August 21, we shall schedule the ceremonies for your convenience. It would also give us the opportunity to show you some of the operational components of Atlanta I s Model Cities program. Highlights in the development of the East Lake Meadows Project w ill give you some idea of its importance not only in relation to the solution of urban problems of Atlanta but perhaps in other cities. The land on which this project is located was once a golf course owned by prominent conservative businessmen in Atlanta. They sold it to the March Company, a private development company, and supported difficult rezoning in an area which had hitherto had :i;io public housing. City officials, local Housing Authority, and the Regional Housing Authority, together with local business people, civic groups, communications media, were all i11v olved. The project includes 800 living units, 150 for elderly, shopping center, community and health facilities, city park, recreation areas .,, ..... r1 ·t-1-, r1,,d;,...,,t;,... .... ,-,f c:,-h,--,,..,1 c:it ,, c:. An e xample of corn.rnu:nity . support involves the four leading banks in Atlanta who formed a consortium to finance the interim construction costs in an e ffort to assist in the solution of Atlanta's housing problems for its low-income citizens. This development represents the highest type of coop e ration among city, business, government interagency planning and implementation - a model community effort. 0 Your presence here on this occasion, therefore, would serve to give strength to the solution of the many difficult problems we still face in Atlanta and to spotlight one of the landmark public housing developments in America. Those of us who are faced with the community level problems of l eadership are thankful that you are in the crucial position at HUD. Sincerely yours, Ivan Allen, Jr. Mayor IAJr:fy cc: Mr. Edward Baxter �