Saving Black Atlanta's Historical Buildings - More Memories On Hand Than Money

AJC: Historic Auburn Avenue 
building’s fate uncertain

Protests Against The Razing Of The "Paschal's" Diner On MLK Jr Blvd In Atlanta Back In 2003 

2003: CommonDreams.org: MLK Diner Shuts Down  Community Protests To Save Building

Back in 2003 as Clark Atlanta University (an HBCU) announced plans to purchase the Paschal's Motor Lodge and Diner and then raze it as it build a brand new dormitory complex - the Civil Rights Pharisees of Atlanta took to the streets and the halls of power to block the move.

For them the memories of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and his lieutenants having their strategy sessions in Paschal's "back in the day" was more important than the consideration that hundreds of Black college students were forced to live in old dorms that cold not be brought up to modern standards.

They found a viable cover that they used to block the demolition.  The "Busy Bee Restaurant" a few doors down from the former Paschal's location was to move into the building - this saving it from the wrecking ball.  As the powers in the city and Rep John Lewis at the federal level worked to make the deal work financially - CAU was turned away.

So tell us -What does the site look like today.   (Again - I will take pictures and update this post)

1. Did Busy Bee move to the location - NO!
2. Did the tax and retail revenues of this strip along MLK increase?  NO!

Because of the power of sentiment for "Back In The Day" the Civil Rights Pharisees WON but the Black Community lost.  Today the building has plywood over the windows and is a magnet for concert promotion posters.  

The sad part about it is - NO ONE GOT FIRED for USING the Black Community and then failing to deliver.  Today we can see what happened after the dust has settled. 

Auburn Avenue

I use the situation of Paschal's / Busy Bee to give you some insight about the power that the Civil Rights Pharisees in Atlanta have in blocking progress for the sake of sentiment and then ultimately walking away unscathed as the opportunities for economic growth and jobs creation gets squandered as they continue to look "Back In The Day".

Here is the area under discussion in as shown in Google Maps.


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 About 4 years ago the southern view of Auburn Avenue got a tremendous financial infusion.  As I recall - Big Bethel AME Church arranged for Bank Of America to finance a block-long development that had condos on top and retail/restaurants on the bottom.  Some of the historic buildings were saved as they were encased within the new structure.  Unfortunately the project was completed just as the bottom fell out of the real estate market and the economy.   IIRC the restaurant that had seemingly been doing good business is now closed.  (I am not hating.  I went their once and was hoping for its success).

Another unspoken angle to the story is the presence of a large dormitory for Georgia State University that is on Piedmont Avenue - just north of the old Atlanta Life Building.

There is a massive missed opportunity with the block that is on Auburn Ave, to the east of Piedmont.  With several thousand students from Georgia State in the area (several hundred in the dorms) this block should be converted into an entertainment district catering to the diverse crowd of students.  Today they are simply driving elsewhere in the city for bar hoping, parties and other entertainment.  Why not reform these empty retail and restaurant properties to cater to their interests?

This strip of land has been a gold mine, left dormant for decades.  The "Odd Fellows Building" has a beautiful atrium that is available for rental.  Its perspective audience chooses to rent ballroom space in downtown hotels - proud that they are now allowed admittance.

The "Auburn Avenue Merchants Association" (I am not sure if this is their actual name) has been more interested in enforcing the store front standards of the few operating businesses while driving past the long list of abandoned businesses that were left to deteriorate.  (The Big Bethel/ BofA project razed a few of those abandoned buildings).  The reason why the area does not have sufficient money to maintain the buildings is because the Civil Rights Pharisees that control the district would rather consider the past when Auburn Avenue was the center of commerce in the Black community about 100 years ago while they are unable to cope with the realities of today.   A plaque on the wall commemorating the glorious past that is seen by hundreds of patrons that come into an active business today is far more important than the sight of a dilapidated building that is being protected but unutilized.

If the old Atlanta Life Building is no longer structurally viable it needs to be torn down.  Make the land into green space - giving the students that pass by constantly another reason to remain in the area.  The main focus needs to be upon getting viable businesses into the spaces that are structurally sound.   Some elements of the past must be released so that new ideas can sprout via the young people who are otherwise being stunted today.