ATLANTA — Construction of Atlanta’s controversial public safety training center is now scheduled to begin in late August and finish in December, 2024.
The developer revealed the new timeline to the city council’s Community Stakeholder Advisory Committee on Tuesday.
But no one is sure if Atlanta’s City Council will have to vote one more time on the project, before August—a possible vote on whether to approve funding for the project in the first place.
As of right now, it’s full speed ahead at City Hall to get the training center done, despite all the protests and the rioting to stop “Cop City,” and despite the tragic and fatal shooting at the site in January that left one activist dead and a state patrol trooper seriously wounded.
DaVinci Development revealed the latest construction timeline at the advisory committee’s Zoom meeting Tuesday afternoon.
Committee members had little comment about the new timeline; Chair Sharon Williams thanked the consultants, engineers and architects: “I’m glad we are reconnected and getting on path, and that progress is being made.”
Williams also commented about “eco-terrorists and anarchists” at the site tearing down silt fencing that is meant to reduce erosion.
Assistant Chief Carven Tyus of the Atlanta Police Department told committee members that since that happened, and since the violence at the site in February, officers have been on patrol there around the clock to protect crews while they’re clearing the land and to protect their equipment.
“As far as individuals coming out there being disruptive,” Tyus said, “we have not seen any individuals on that site.... Knock on wood, we haven’t had any issues, thus far.”
Meanwhile, the city is continuing to work toward funding the $90 Million project. Its share of the funding is currently $33.5 Million, while the Atlanta Police Foundation is paying for the rest.
But, the city’s bill is coming due.
The mayor’s office said that by the end of June, the city has to write the police foundation a check for about half of that $33.5 million-- that is, once the city council approves the payment--with the balance to be paid later, possibly in 2024.
City Council President Doug Shipman told 11Alive Wednesday that the mayor’s office has not yet formally requested council approval of that payment, and Shipman said he doesn’t know yet if the council will have to vote on approving the payment--which could potentially put the entire project up for debate and a vote in the council one more time.
