Future of properties around Dome - some of which are owned by Blank - gets second look

Map Key: Benjamin Enterprises / JayCee Development

Now that a new Atlanta Falcons stadium seems to be (almost) a done deal, ideas for how Vine City, English Avenue, and Castleberry Hill could benefit from the project are starting to take shape.

Arthur Blank's eponymous philanthropic foundation and Invest Atlanta, the city's economic development arm, have pledged to invest at least $30 million in those areas. Both entities have not yet decided how those projects will be funded.

But Atlanta City Councilman Ivory Young, who represents English Avenue and Vine City, has proposed a long list of potential "legacy projects" for the neighborhoods located near the proposed stadium, which could be located either south of the Georgia Dome or along Northside Drive near Ivan Allen Boulevard. Examples include community centers, park space, streetscape fixes, health care facilities, and other neighborhood improvements.

Part of that proposal, outlined in specific detail in a 75-page document Young submitted to fellow councilmembers and obtained by CL, envisions improving Northside Drive near the Dome. A key part of that plan involves doing something with the parking lots across from the stadium - most of which are owned by a company connected to Blank and one other firm.