Atlanta Councilmember Bakhtiari talks Wellstar closure, mayor’s development moratorium – WABE

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens issued an government order Monday to halt the redevelopment of Wellstar’s Atlanta Medical Heart after it closes in November.

The order directs the town’s planning division to reject purposes for rezoning, constructing permits and different strikes that his workplace says could also be untimely in assessing the wants of Outdated Fourth Ward and the town. However what’s subsequent for the property?

On this version of “Nearer Look,” Atlanta Metropolis Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari talks concerning the influence of the AMC closure and what hopes they’ve for the moratorium in directing the way forward for the positioning.

The middle’s important buildings fall inside Bakhtiari’s district, who says the mayor has been conserving her carefully up to date on the following steps, regardless of not having a chance to speak with representatives of Wellstar.

“After I check out the procurement that Wellstar made on the 5 hospitals and I have a look at the 2 that have been shut down … each have been in southern components of Fulton County that primarily assist low-income individuals of colour,” Bakhtiari mentioned. “And the three hospitals they selected to maintain open have been in prosperous areas. So, to me, that claims their backside line is revenue, not the lives and well being care of those that want it probably the most.”

The councilmember additionally outlined some early concepts for the way forward for the positioning — together with reasonably priced, dense housing — however emphasised the significance of bolstering Atlanta’s thinning well being care capability.

“I might love for there to be a state-of-the-art medical middle there that was pushed by a number of companions on the desk and that prioritized treating everybody regardless of their financial standing, their pores and skin colour, their background, their capability … I’m terrified concerning the murder charges that can go up on account of this, that individuals will die due to this,” they mentioned.