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Crews begin demolition of former Atlanta Medical Center site

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Crews begin demolition of former Atlanta Medical Center site


Crews have started clearing the site of what was once the old Atlanta Medical Center campus to make way for a new mixed-use neighborhood where residents can live, work, and shop.

More than two years after its closure, demolition is now underway at the Old Fourth Ward site. 

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The backstory:

Atlanta Medical Center, one of only two Level 1 trauma centers in the region, closed on Nov. 1, 2022, due to financial troubles, according to Wellstar. They also closed Atlanta Medical Center South, on the outskirts of the city, a few months before. 

Wellstar obtained the 460-bed facility in Atlanta’s historic Old Fourth Ward neighborhood in 2016. The hospital, which originally opened more than a century ago, served area residents who were mostly poor and Black. Wellstar also closed or relocated more than a dozen other facilities affiliated with the medical center. The closures had a direct impact on the local residents, hospital employees and remaining hospitals and staff. ‘

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Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center Downtown in Atlanta (FOX 5).

The decision to close the hospital was initially widely criticized by Atlanta politicians, with Mayor Andre Dickens saying the choice left an “open wound in the heart of this community.”

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In response, Gov. Brian Kemp boosted funding for Grady Memorial Hospital, and they added additional inpatient beds and hired former surgeons from AMC, primary care physicians and supporting staff to handle the influx of new patients. 

Initially, the City of Atlanta placed a series of zoning moratoriums on the property while it evaluated redevelopment options. Wellstar says a land-use plan was unanimously approved by the Atlanta City Council with the support of Mayor Andre Dickens. 

What we know:

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Earlier this year, Wellstar announced that the Ferma Corporation, an engineering firm out of California, would oversee the next phase of development of the site.

According to Wellstar’s announcement of the plan, the 22-acre site will include affordable housing, residential properties, community and public green space, neighborhood-level retail, new street access, commercial uses, and health and well-being resources. 

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What’s next:

The demolition is expected to last through most of the year.

There’s no word just yet on when the new site will reopen.

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The Source: Information for this story was taken from a report by FOX 5’s Brooke Zauner and previous FOX 5 articles.

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Atlanta, GA

Buckhead apartment building evacuated due to dangerous carbon monoxide levels

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Buckhead apartment building evacuated due to dangerous carbon monoxide levels


A Buckhead apartment building was evacuated for a time late Tuesday night due to a carbon monoxide alarm. 

What we know:

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The incident occurred at an apartment complex in the 2900 block of Pharr Court South. 

According to Atlanta Fire Rescue, firefighters are investigating elevated carbon monoxide levels.

The entire building was evacuated as a precaution. 

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One person was evaluated at the scene for possible carbon monoxide exposure. 

Crews ventilated the building while they looked for the source.

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Firefighters say they were able to finally locate the source and contain it.

Once readings were back to a safe level, residents were allowed back inside the apartments.

What we don’t know:

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It remains unclear how many residents were displaced by the evacuation. 

The Source: The details in this article come from the Atlanta Fire Rescue.

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Atlanta, GA

2 arrested in deadly drive-by shooting of 7-year-old Atlanta girl, police say

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2 arrested in deadly drive-by shooting of 7-year-old Atlanta girl, police say


Two suspects in a shooting that left a 7-year-old Atlanta girl dead and her mother injured are now in custody nearly a week after the violence, police say.

The shooting happened around 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 24 at a home on the 2200 block of Tiger Flowers Drive NW.

Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a dispute between one of the victim’s family members and the gunman over the phone. Thirty minutes after the argument, the suspect came back and fired shots into the home, police said.

Officers responding to the scene found a 44-year-old woman and her daughter, identified as 7-year-old Zoe Price, shot. Medics rushed the pair to a local hospital, but Price died from her injuries.

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Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said the department’s homicide unit secured an arrest warrant for 19-year-old Preston Smith two days after the shooting. Smith turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail on March 2.

Schierbaum said officers executed a search warrant on Feb. 27 at a home on McDaniel Street. On that day, 17-year-old Steven Richardson, who police described as an “accomplice,” turned himself in to authorities.

Both men are charged with murder, criminal attempt to commit murder, three counts of aggravated assault, second-degree criminal damage to property, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and four counts of third-degree cruelty to children. Richardson is also charged with possession of a Firearm by a Person Under 18.

At a press conference to announce the arrests, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens described Price as a bright and compassionate little girl who was “full of energy and full of joy.”

“Her life was cut short in an act of senseless violence, and that loss is not abstract. It is a chair that is going to be missing at the dinner table each night. It is an empty classroom seat next to her friends,” Dickens said.

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The mayor called the arrests “a step forward towards justice” for Price’s family and families across the city.

Dickens said that violence, like the act that took Price’s life, would not be tolerated in Atlanta.



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Atlanta Braves News: Top 30 Prospects, Starting Pitching Depth, More

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Atlanta Braves News: Top 30 Prospects, Starting Pitching Depth, More


On Monday, the Braves were able to earn another Spring Training victory over the Detroit Tigers. It was a game where the starting pitching depth of the Braves was on full display, as Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz, and Owen Murphy all threw multiple innings. While it is likely unwise to expect big things from any of these three arms this season, they are a part of the “next man up” group for the Braves if injury again impacts the rotation. Each had a solid effort today, a trend that will hopefully continue.



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