Andrew Young's $100 million peace center pitched for Vine City
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The 80,000-square-foot building is part of a larger vision for the park to celebrate civil rights activists and peace leaders. Rendering: Courtesy of Invest Atlanta
Former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young's foundation wants to build a $100 million center in Vine City that would house a new global peace institute and carry on the former Atlanta mayor's legacy.
Why it matters: The Andrew Young International Institute for Peace and Reconciliation could become a cultural and educational attraction in a historic neighborhood strongly tied to the civil rights movement.
Driving the news: The former mayor's foundation wants $2 million in public funding from Invest Atlanta to remove sewer pipes running underneath the proposed site, a 2.77-acre city-owned lot overlooking Rodney Cook Sr. Park.
Zoom in: The 80,000-square-foot neoclassical building would house galleries, educational spaces, a theater, a research library and Young's personal collection of papers, awards and art from around the world, according to city documents.
- The institute would sit on a promontory adjacent to the park and feature a domed rotunda rising above the residential neighborhood. The homes where Martin Luther King, Jr., Julian Bond and others raised families are around the corner.
Fundraising for the project is ongoing. The institute stands a better chance of winning major philanthropic funds once the site becomes construction-ready, according to the city documents.
- Construction could start in mid-2028 and be completed by the end of 2029, the documents say.
What they're saying: "We want to make sure that the message of inclusion, of brotherly love, friendship, all that the movement represents, continues to be reflected in that particular location," Council member Michael Julian Bond, who grew up near the proposed site, told Axios.
- Foundation officials, Council member Byron Amos, who represents the district, and the Historic Vine City Civic Association did not return Axios' request for comment.
In the weeds: The city is charging the Andrew Young Foundation a nominal rate of $1 per year for a five-year lease that can be extended up to 100 years, according to Council legislation.
- The project must reach 100% funding by June 30, 2032, the legislation said.
Fun fact: The building aligns with a larger park vision that's been championed by Rodney Cook, Jr., an Atlanta-based classical architecture buff and son of the green space's namesake.
- Cook, who is also President Trump's advisor on the White House ballroom project, told Axios he was traveling in Rome and could not speak until Friday.
What's next: The Invest Atlanta board of directors could consider the request at its Thursday, April 16 meeting.