Atlanta asks historic churches to move for new downtown stadium

[question everything]

ATLANTA -- Friendship Baptist Church is making a monumental decision as it celebrates its 151-year anniversary: It's one of two historic churches standing in the path of a new $1 billion domed football stadium that the Atlanta Falcons and the city want to build. Determined to keep the NFL team downtown, Atlanta is negotiating with Friendship Baptist to move.

"I don't think [money] should even enter our decision-making. I really don't," said parishioner Juanita Jones Abernathy, whose late husband was a confidant of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. "It's a landmark. I think it should remain. It's been there for generations, and it needs to be there for generations to come." Friendship Baptist dates back to the Civil War when slaves first held services in a train boxcar near where the church now stands. Its basement has been home to the famous historically black colleges Spelman and Morehouse.

(snip)

The first offer was about $10 million, or about 10 times the appraised market value of the church and its land.. Leaders at the other church being asked to move, Mount Vernon Baptist, chose not to answer questions about their negotiations.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed says he's moving forward while listening to what the Friendship congregation asks and has to say. If both churches refuse to move, there is an alternative, though less desirable, site nearby.

More..

http://dailynightly.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/30/17988043-atlanta-asks-historic-churches-to-move-for-new-downtown-stadium

[msongs]

1. let the millionaire gladiators take their bread and circuses to another spot nt

[NYC_SKP]

2. Bread and Circuses. We have to have our big sports stadia at any cost!

Fuck that shit.

[question everything]

9. Right. And taxpayers have to pay for them

Time and again it was found that these stadiums are a drain on the city host. But cities and states are afraid that the teams will leave so they come up with new taxes and funds. Of course at the expense of education, shelter and health care to the poor.

I wish that someplace, a city or a state will tell these millionaire team owners: Fuck you. Go. Leave. And see who will take them. Even Los Angeles that desperately is looking for a football team has yet to agree about building a stadium.

[Gravitycollapse]

3. NFL teams can play on high school fields as far as I'm concerned. Fuck corporate enterprise.

[dsc]

4. Is it 10 million plus the cost of moving the building?

IF so, as a member of the church I would have to ask, what could I do for the community with 10 million.

[Gravitycollapse]

7. It's always about the money, isn't it.

[dsc]

8. silly me to think there might be some poor members of that congregation

who could use some food or clothing or other things that money might buy. I didn't realize that churches were all about pretty historical buildings I foolishly thought it might be about doing good for the people who actually use those buildings. sorry for even daring to suggest that.

[Gravitycollapse]

11. Planting a gigantic corporate enterprise on their land isn't helping anyone.

Especially not the poor.

I read this story and all I see are a bunch of capitalist vampires offering up chump change for the chance to extend the popularity of professional head and spinal trauma.

Like I said, it's always about the money.

[dsc]

13. I am not saying the project is a good idea

but I am saying if I were running a church, and could have the church building moved and get 10 million to endow a charitable enterprise, it would be rather tempting. Invested at even 5% interest, that 10 million would raise 500,000 a year, every year, without ever touching principle. Assuming a 50,000 per person cost, that is 10 fully paid college educations every year. Assuming 750 a month rent, that is housing for 667 families every month.

[question everything]

18. Could be a problem of accessability

These are old churches. It is possible that many of the parishioners live near by, who can walk to services, or who can get easy rides.

Moving the churches to obviously a more distant site can create hardship of many of them.

[tammywammy]

5. Move two historical churches to support a stadium with probably a life of 30 years?

Uh no. City should look elsewhere.

[Stretch714]

10. This. Tare down the stadium they have now and build in that spot.

The falcons can play at some collage for a season.

[dawg]

19. Let 'em pay up to play at UGA for a year.

Our stadium is bigger and better than the one they'll build anyway.

[cyberswede]

6. I agree with Ms. Abernathy

"It's a landmark. I think it should remain. It's been there for generations, and it needs to be there for generations to come."

I'm so sick of money-making schemes trumping everything else. *sigh*

[ecstatic]

12. wtf? nt

[Heather MC]

14. Why do these teams have to build a new stadium

Every 5-10 years. They want to destroy a building that's been there for 151 years to build something that will be abandoned in 10years.

I remember when they spent Millions renovated RFK stadium. Then a year later the Redskins built another Stadium outside of DC.

Don't the Falcons have a Stadium?

[Hoyt]

15. The problem is the greedy owners will move it out of that area.

To the more affluent suburbs. Hopefully, some one will come up with an alternative that saves important landmarks.

[longship]

16. What if you dislike both religion and football.

I would still choose to preserve an historic church, because I like historic architecture more than I like religion or football. And, I don't like either of them very much.

Plus, religious art is still important, regardless of my opinion of religion itself. I would prefer not to destroy a 150 church anymore than I would have destroyed the Bamiyan Buddhas.

I am an atheist. But I think it takes a religious fanatic to desecrate religious heritage.

Plus, if you want to watch football, why settle for lame US football when there's Australian rules football. The US version is dull and lame in comparison.

[abbeyco]

17. Then build on your alternative, less desirable site.

Not all historical places need to be paved over for the almighty dollar. I find the fact that these historical churches are being asked to 'move' is disgusting. Their possible move constitutes breaking up the very ground upon which history was recorded. I've visited both churches and I hope to the god they pray to that they do not give into the NFL owners for a new and probably publicly financed stadium.