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CITY OF A.TLANT.A 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 Sec ret~ry DAN E. SWEAT, JR ., Director of Governmental Liaisor, The Honorable George Ronmey Secret.:.1.ry of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Washington, D. C . .Dear Mr. Secretary: In November, 1966, we began in Atlanta a concentrated effort to stimulate the developn1ent of 16, 800 units of low and 1noderate income housing to provide safe and sanitary shelter for thousands of less fortunat P citizens. This effort, called 11 The Mayor's Housing R e sources Program" was supported by th e U. S. Department of Housin g and Urban Development, private banks ., developers, churches , civic groups and individual citizens at all levels. This pro g ram has produced results. As of this date, 21,013 of the fiv e year goal of 16, 800 units have b een completed, are und er construction, or in plannin g . The most rec e nt status r e port is attached for your i nfor mation, Within the ne x t few weeks , th e single most significant development generated by our pro grams will b e pla ce d under construction. It is the East Lake Meadows tur nkey proj ect, w hich is the lar ges t turnkey public housin g deve lopment in Amer ica w ith compr ehensive community facilities. Because of the significance of this undertaking and b ecause it embod i es s o many of the aspects of community housing action which you so magnificently support, all of us in Atlanta - City Hall, the builders, our housing officials, and citizens in general - fee l that we want to share the beginning of this project with 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's Model Cities program. Highlights in the development of the East Lake Meadows Project will 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 no public housing. City officials, local Housing Authority, and the Regional Housing Authority, together with local business people, civic groups, communications media, were all i11volved. The project includes 800 living units, 150 for elderly, shopping center, community and health facilities, city park, recreation areas and the dedication cf sch eel sites. Ar,. e xampl e of co rrun. 1..1.nity support involves the four leading banks in Atlanta who formed a consortium to finance the interim construction costs in an effort to assist in the solution of Atlanta's housing problems for its low-income citizens. This development represents the highest type of cooperation among city, business, government interagency planning and implementation - a model community effort. 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 leadership are thankful that you are in the crucial position at HUD. Sincerely yours, Ivan Allen, Jr . Mayor IA Jr: fy cc: Mr. Edward B axter �