Hall wants to keep MLK natatorium in O4W

The Old Fourth Ward may be getting a new aquatic center with an old name.
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? Earlier this week, Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall introduced legislation to relocate the Martin Luther King Jr. Natatorium from Boulevard to 110 Hilliard St. on land donated by the Atlanta Housing Authority.
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? In November 2012, the original swimming pool that served the Atlanta area for more than 20 years was condemned due to structural instabilities, which is why the need for a new site. The adjoining rec center will remain but the future of the current MLK natatorium site is unclear.
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? The cost to build the new center has been budgeted at $17.5 million, which would come from the 2015 Infrastructure Bond. The natatorium reconstruction was the most expensive non-infrastructure project on the $250 million list of improvements.
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? Hall says the facility is important because it serves a diverse crowd. Plus, there’s a personal connection.
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? “I was a lifeguard there when I was a teenager,” Hall says in statement. “It has been important to me that we keep the facility in the Old Fourth Ward.”
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? The new site does two things: keeps the facilities in the historic neighborhood, as per Hall’s wishes, and creates easier access for residents who rely on public transportation to get around the city. The King Memorial MARTA station is located one block south of Hilliard Street and an Atlanta Streetcar stop is two blocks away.
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? Hilliard Street also offers the opportunity for the new aquatic facilities to create a “recreation hub” and serve planned developments. The Selena Sloan Butler Park Recreation Center was recently revamped and MARTA is planning to build a “new transit-oriented mixed-use development adjacent to the station, including more than 300 apartment units.”
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? If the legislation passes and the project is completed, residents are being promised a “world-class facility to be built featuring an iconic structure, an indoor pool, classrooms, and meeting areas adjacent to the existing recreation center.”
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? The Finance/Executive Committee will take up the legislation for further discussion.