Atlanta’s Adamsville community rallies to shut down embattled Citgo gas station

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) – On a mission in southwest Atlanta, dozens of group members are banding collectively. They gathered in a fuel station car parking zone for a protest and rally Wednesday. They declare the Citgo station alongside Martin Luther King Drive is a hotbed for crime.

Numbers from Atlanta Police again up their claims. To this point this yr, APD responded to almost 100 calls on the embattled fuel station.

Arleshia McMichael grew up in Adamsville. She and the handfuls of others who attended the occasion need town to take motion.

“It turns into an issue when your youth, your group is solicited with alcohol, medicine, prostitution, and killings. It’s change into an issue as an entire,” stated Arleshia McMichael.

Councilwoman Andrea Boone says eliminating the fuel station altogether is the one approach to repair the issue. On Thursday, town plans to take the proprietor to courtroom, in hopes that an Atlanta metropolis courtroom decide will declare the property a nuisance.

“It offers town the ability to close this Citgo down,” stated Andrea Boone. “I believe this has been a sore spot. And this may assist with crime alongside the MLK Drive hall.”

Not everybody agrees. A longtime enterprise proprietor subsequent door says town wants to deal with the issue of drug use dysfunction and psychological sickness locally.

“I’m emotional as a result of what are they doing to assist these individuals? What? Shut it down? It’s the individuals. It’s not the shop. They should assist the individuals,” stated Cynthia Douglas.

CBS46 reached out to the fuel station tenant in addition to Citgo Petroleum Company, which is called the grievance. That they had not responded on the time of this publishing.

Councilwoman Boone says dozens of Adamsville residents plan to be in courtroom Thursday morning to indicate assist for her efforts to shut the fuel station.

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