Atlanta residents gathered Saturday, November 8, at English Park Recreation Center to take part in the City’s first public open house for the Chattahoochee Brick Company and Atlanta RiverLands Trail Corridor project—an ambitious effort to transform one of Atlanta’s most significant historic sites into a place of remembrance, reflection, and renewal.
The event introduced the nationally recognized design team led by SCAPE, a landscape architecture firm known for its community-driven approach, in partnership with MASS Design Group’s Public Memory and Memorials Lab and Toole Design Group. Together, they will guide the creation of a 75-acre riverfront park, a public memorial honoring victims of convict leasing, and a trail segment connecting Atlanta to the regional RiverLands greenway system.
Remembering the Past, Reimagining the Future
The Chattahoochee Brick Company operated on land where incarcerated individuals were forced to work under the system of convict leasing in the decades following the Civil War. The new memorial—developed with guidance from MASS Design Group, known for the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama—will honor those lives and stories while offering space for education and reflection.
Reconnecting Atlanta to Its River
In addition to the memorial, the project will expand public access to the Chattahoochee River through restored floodplain habitats, new recreational spaces, and an extension of the RiverLands Trail—a 100-mile greenway connecting the Atlanta BeltLine, Proctor Creek Greenway, and other regional trails.
Community at the Center
The open house marked the start of an ongoing public engagement process that will continue throughout 2026, including listening sessions and small-group conversations with descendants, historians, and neighborhood residents. Funding for the project includes support from the Atlanta Regional Commission and The Trust for Public Land.
Residents can follow the project’s progress and participate in upcoming engagement opportunities at AtlantaCityDesign.com
