ATLANTA — It's almost been one year since the closure of Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center. On Monday, Atlanta City Council members were set to vote on several items that would determine the next steps for the site.
However, the council decided to send the resolution back to the Community Development and Human Services Committee. There's no timetable yet on when the vote -- on whether to end or continue the moratorium-- could happen.
The city instituted a moratorium last September soon after Wellstar announced the closure and then another in April of this year. For now, the site remains untouched.
"It's a disappointment. I think the neighborhood is, in a way, still reeling from the closure of AMC. We're starting to see some of the effects of it. This is starting to feel like a real black hole in the neighborhood of no activity, no productivity," Justin Hershatter, an Old Fourth Ward resident for over nine years said.
The center closed its doors on November 1, 2022. The AMC has been a cornerstone for vital medical needs as a Level 1 trauma center. Now, residents are left with only one Level 1 Trauma Center in the city's heart, Grady Hospital.
"We no longer have the access to emergency medical care in the immediate vicinity that we did before, which it's important to the neighborhood, but it's more important to the community at large," said Hershatter.
City leaders are trying to figure out the best option for what to do next.
Councilwoman Keisha Waites suggested a wellness center to provide affordable housing, transitional housing for those experiencing homelessness, and drug, alcohol and mental health services.
"My hope, given the urgency of this conversation, is that we're not waiting because I believe it puts people's lives at stake," Waites added.
Hershatter said he'd support a multi-use center but feels waiting another six months for it is too long.
"We can get stuck in analysis paralysis and deciding what to do with this huge site in a booming neighborhood or we can go ahead and allow for some redevelopment," Hershatter said.