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(ROUGH DRAFT)
Board of Aldermen
City of Atlante
City Hall
Atlanta, Georgia
Attn: Mr. Milton Farris
Chairman, Finance Comittee
Gentlemen:
The Atlanta Civic Design Commission is charged with certain responsibilities
in terms of guiding, recommending, and sponsoring physical isprovements in the
developuent of the City of Atlante, and partioularly of its dowa-tow ares or
“pusiness district”. :
The Commission has, of recent months, arrived at the definite opinion that
@ model of this down-towm area would be of great benefit, both to the Commission
in its efforts to guide and influence proper development and/or re-developaent
of thie area, end also to the City of Atlanta in persuading its citizenry that
euch guided development would be of lasting benefit to the community.
The commission's reasons for this opinion are as follow:
1. Proposed future developments could be located on this model, and
the surrounding environs of the sites could be viewed, considered,
and (we hope) brought into harmony with the new structures.
2. A model is far more understandable, and far more interesting, to
the average leyman than are any nuaber of “plans” on paper.
3- Such @ model would do much to advence the foresight, in terms of
national publicity, of the City of Atlenta, by illustrating ite
vision, ites initiative, and ite belief in end aspirations for
its future.
hk. In consequence of Paragraph 3. (above) more outside interest and
more outside capital and investment could well be genersted in
our down-town srea.
(continued )
Page #2
The Atlanta Civic Design Comission hes obtained ea tentative proposal from
one model maker in Wilmington, Delaware, and is seeking a competitive proposal
from another in San Francisco.
At this early stage it becomes apparent that a model such as the Commission
contemplates will cost between fifty and one hundred thousand dollers. The
Commission realizes thet such funds are not presently availeble from the City
of Atlanta, and does not so request. Rather, it feels thet the undertaking
can be, and will be, financed from private funds, if it can be conceived,
launched, and presented in a realistic manner.
While final details are yet to be determined, the present thinking of the
Commission is in terms of a model possessing the following cheracteristics:
i.
3.
Approximate boundaries to be North Avenue or Ponce de Leon Avenue
on the north, Boulevard on the east, Georgia Avenue on the south,
ond Spring Street (or possibly Hemphill Avenue) on the west. It is
anticipated that this ares would necessarily be divided into three
seperate sections.
That the scale of this model (or models) be at fifty feet equals
one inch (50" = 1").
That the model represent present-day (existing) conditions in the
down-town area, since all future developments will be unknown for
years to come. “Permanent” geatures, such es existing streets,
parks, plazas, major structures, would be shown in some detail,
so ap to be recognizable to the lay public. Lesser structures,
presumably more temporary, would be shown merely as blocks, with
no detail required. |
( continued )
Page #3
4. That the floor of the model consist of separate and removable units
(perhaps by city blocks, perhaps by erbitrery division lines). Thus,
where @ specific future development was proposed, a certein unit
could be removed ond @ new unit, of equal size and shape and of
identical scale, could be substituted therefor, thus showing the
size, mass, and general development of the new improvement.
That all buildings on the model be atteched by temporary means
(peauthiiy & woeden Qowel ov deg ui thete tettens) sidher thin glued
down end hence impossible to remove and replece.
Many other thoughts and improvements to our concept will doubtless develop
if end as the Comnission carries further its program. However, to initiate this
progrem, the Commission needs and requests of the Board of Aldermen a anall
' amount of “seed money". We ask of the City of Atlanta the sum of one thousend
dollara ($1,000.00) to be used primarily to crate, insure, and ehip from
Wilmington and from San Francisco, one existing model from each of the two
model makers presently submitting proposals, end thereafter to return same to
their present owners. The presence of these two "semples” in Atlanta vould
assist our efforts in the following ways;
1, Through the press and through viewing by the general public, these
exhibits would generate mass enthusiasm for our undertaking.
@. Actually seeing models similar in many respects to what is conten-
plated locally would help to persuade possible private donors to
the cost of en Atlanta model of its value and its utility.
Studying these models would assist the Design Comission in estab-
lishing in deteil ite own progrem end its own requirements for its
own model.
{ continued )
BC; Mr. John C. Portman (draft only)
Page #h
In sumary, gentlemen, of a long letter, and for reasons as cited sbove,
the Atlenta Civic Design Commission requests of the Board of Aldernen the
sun of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) for the initiating and promotion
of the project herein described.
Very truly yours,
SAM'L IRMAN COBPER, F.A.I.A.
CHAIRMAN
ATLANTA CIVIC DESIGN COMMISSION
BC: Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. (draft only)
BC: Mr. Joseph S. Perrin (draft only)
BC: Mr. Bric Harkness (draft only)