Council President Doug Shipman supports the order and said it “buys us time to try to find a way in which we can have some kind of health care institution there instead of it being potentially used for other purposes.”
“And I would expect that the city council will in fact extend this at our next council meeting,” Shipman said.
The executive order, which doesn’t apply to permits for emergency repairs, expires at the Atlanta City Council meeting on Oct. 3. However, the mayor’s office said Dickens plans to work with City Council to pass legislation extending the moratorium.
The Atlanta Medical Center is a 120-year-old institution located in the heart of the city on a 25-acre site. In 2008, the city designated the hospital as an essential infrastructure for the community’s Old Fourth Ward Master Plan.
According to the city, the land falls under several zoning regulations, such as the C-1 Community Business District, C-2 Commercial Service District, and the C-4 Central Area Commercial Residential District. Some of the properties also fall within the Beltline Overlay District and Beltline Affordable Workforce Housing District.
Dickens has previously said that Atlanta wants to prioritize the continued use of the site — in whole or in part — for health care services. The AMC also houses the Atlanta Police Department’s Zone 6 Crime Suppression Precinct, so Dickens wants to maintain that public safety infrastructure at the site as well.
Additionally, Dickens has urged the Wellstar Health System to immediately share its transition plans for current patients and medical staff. He also wants the health system to disclose its plans for those who are newly admitted between now and their closure date to prevent gaps in care.
Wellstar’s announcement last month led to immediate criticism and worry from other local officials, including Councilman Amir Farokhi, who represents the Old Fourth Ward.
On Monday, Farokhi told the AJC that he appreciates the mayor’s leadership because the AMC properties serve a vital public health role for the neighborhood and the region. Farokhi said it’s important to pause to ensure the best land use and best health care access occurs on the property in the future.
