On April 16, Invest Atlanta approved a $2 million Westside TAD grant for critical relocation work on the Vine City site of the planned Andrew Young International Institute for Peace and Reconciliation.
It’s an essential step for the $100 million project. The grant will pay for the relocation of sewer overflow pipes on the property, which is critical to the lot design. It will also accelerate the fundraising timeline for philanthropic capital for construction.
The recently announced peace institute will span 80,000 square feet with galleries, archives, classrooms and convening spaces. It will also hold roughly 3,000 artifacts from Young’s life and legacy.
The peace center is a project through the Andrew Young Foundation. Young, a civil rights icon, former Atlanta Mayor, Georgia Congressman and United States Ambassador to the United Nations, founded the foundation in 2003 to advance education, health, leadership and global human rights.
It all comes together with the peace Institute. In March, the foundation secured a 100-year, $1 a year lease on the 2.7-acre site from the City of Atlanta. Now it is tackling the relocation of the sewer line.
“The issue here, the requirement for $2 million, relates to the fact that there is a sewer which runs through the property that is actually restricting its ability to be maximized,” Invest Atlanta Community Development Vice President Phil Perkins said.
The relocation will cost $2.5 million total – an extra $510,000 comes from philanthropic dollars – and will set up the institute for its 2032 delivery date. Construction is set to begin in 2028.
Once completed, Perkins said “It will serve as a global hub for education, diplomacy and leadership.”
The institute will also look over Rodney Cook Sr. Park. Designs show a neoclassical building set against greenspace. According to Invest Atlanta documents, it will be a “permanent space for research, dialogue and public engagement” focused on peacebuilding and economic empowerment.
As the foundation continues design work, it will continue fundraising for the $100 million price tag. So far, Delta Air Lines has already committed $5 million to the project.
Once completed, the foundation aims to partner with local colleges and universities to develop education initiatives and fellowships, including Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, Georgia State University, Emory University and Georgia Tech.
As the project leaders see it, the peace institute will not only be a hub for education. It will be a public space for the community, an event hub and a workforce driver — all while “celebrating Atlanta’s civil rights heritage.”
“The facility will serve as a dynamic convening center, bringing together students, scholars, policymakers and international leaders to engage in dialogue, research and collaborative problem-solving,” the project narrative said.
