Property owners in Atlanta’s South downtown are concerned about the proposed site of a temporary housing project. 

Mayor Andre Dickens plans to use shipping containers to create a “Rapid Housing” project for the homeless at 184 Forsyth St. SW. The Atlanta City Council on August 21 ratified Mayor Dickens executive order to receive donated shipping containers from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency. 

However, Council member Jason Dozier said additional legislation would be needed to determine the location and to finalize the scope and scale of the project and there will be further discussion of the project with community stakeholders in the coming weeks. 

Downtown business leaders, including Susana Chavez, executive vice president of parking giant Park Place, and Kevin Murphy, executive vice president, development, for Newport, both expressed concerns about the site of the project at the City Council meeting.  

Chavez supports efforts to help the homeless and has worked to connect nonprofits and church groups with public agencies to ensure that everyone is working together to help the homeless. But they believe the 184 Forsyth St. SW site, which is next to the Garnett MARTA station, is unsuitable for temporary housing.  

 “There’s no place nearby to buy food and there are seven nightclubs and bars in the area,” Chavez said. “We look forward to working with Council member Dozier, Mayor Dickens and downtown stakeholders to identify a more suitable location that will meet everyone’s needs