Plans to redevelop the former Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center will soon take a step toward reality, but a historic preservation organization is calling for the hospital's history to be incorporated into future rebuilding plans.

Why it matters: Wellstar's surprise closure of the 500-bed hospital in 2022 left Grady Memorial Hospital as the only Level I trauma center in metro Atlanta that can treat gunshot wounds and traumatic brain injuries.

• The vacant site owned by Wellstar suddenly became a lucrative opportunity for developers looking to cash in on its prime location in the booming Old Fourth Ward neighborhood.

Driving the news: Wellstar and The Integral Group, its redevelopment partner, last month selected California-based Ferma Corporation to demolish parts of the structure deemed "unsafe and unstable." Areas include the circular parking structure on the north side of the site, Wellstar said in a press release.

• Ferma said in a press release that demolition will begin in March, and that it's expected to be completed later this year.

Catch up quick: Atlanta City Council members this past September approved a land use plan that outlines what it envisions for the site.

• In October, Wellstar released a redevelopment plan that includes commercial uses, green space, affordable housing and other residential components.

What they're saying: Richard White, senior vice president at The Integral Group told Axios in a statement that the company is conducting a comprehensive "structure-by-structure assessment" of the site.

• He also said Integral is "committed to honoring the former Atlanta Medical Center campus' rich history" and will work with the community to celebrate its legacy.

Yes, but: For David Mitchell, executive director of the Atlanta Preservation Center, that assessment should include a review of which parts of the facility can be preserved.

Flashback: The Old Fourth Ward site was originally home to a dormitory, which was built in 1921, for nurses who worked at the original Georgia Baptist Hospital on Luckie Street, according to Chris Jackson of the historic preservation consulting firm Verity Works.

Kristal's thought bubble: I was born at Georgia Baptist Hospital back in 1984. Shout out to all of us who aren't Grady babies.

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One of Atlanta's prettiest parks and a Downtown street bordering City Hall will be renamed in honor of Atlanta's first woman mayor.

Driving the news: On Monday, the Atlanta City Council approved the renaming of Westside Reservoir Park and Central Avenue in honor of former Mayor Shirley Franklin.

Catch up quick: Franklin, who served from 2002 to 2010, was also the first Black woman to lead a major Southern city.

• Her major accomplishment: taking on the unsexy but important job of overhauling the city's water and sewer systems.

Fun fact: The city purchased a northwest Atlanta quarry during Franklin's second and final term to build an emergency drinking-water reservoir and park.

Zoom out: Central Avenue from Decatur to Pryor streets (roughly from Georgia State University to the I-20/75-85 interchange) will become "Shirley Clarke Franklin Boulevard."

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President Trump's campaign promise to dismantle the Department of Education could prove more costly for red states like Georgia than blue ones.

Why it matters: Funding for public schools primarily falls to local and state governments, but federal funds work to fill in the gaps.

• States that voted for Trump last November, on average, use more federal funding in their education apportions than states that voted for former Vice President Harris.

State of play: The federal government contributes 16.1% of Georgia's education funding, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics.

• If Trump reduced Title I federal funding to zero, Georgia would lose $621.2 million in revenue, according to the Education Law Center.

Zoom out: Average federal spending in the 2021-22 school year (the latest available) was 17% in Trump-voting states, compared to 11% in states that voted for Harris.

• At 23%, Mississippi had the highest proportion of federal public school funding that school year, with South Dakota and Arkansas following with 22% each, per USA Facts. New York, at 7%, had the lowest.

The intrigue: Even if the Department of Education is disbanded, programs within its purview could fall to other federal agencies. Head Start, for example, is already run by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Reality check: A president does not have the authority to create or dismantle a federal agency, only Congress.

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⚖️ A judge has dismissed the remaining charge — violating her oath of office — against former district attorney Jackie Johnson, who declined to press charges against three white men in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. (AJC)

👀 Atlanta Beltline officials say unexplained costs, fewer housing units and a protracted construction timeline contributed to the Murphy Crossing mixed-use redevelopment plan collapsing. (Urbanize)

🏡 Residents say Fulton County's refusal to grant homestead exemptions to family members who continue to live in homes that were owned by their parents makes it difficult for them to maintain ownership. (WABE)

🍺 A local craft beer and apparel company is partnering with Atlanta Influences Everything and Monday Night Brewery to debut a limited edition imperial stout in honor of Black History Month. (AJC)