Long-abandoned storefronts on Summerhill’s Georgia Avenue are starting to house new businesses like an ice cream shop, a brewery and a barbecue joint.

But it didn’t happen overnight. In the six years since the Atlanta Braves announced they would leave Turner Field for their new home in Cobb County, the residents of Summerhill and developers have had long – sometimes heated – discussions about what the future of the neighborhood ought to look like.

The tension reached a fever pitch in the spring of 2017, when activists set up a tent city outside Turner Field. After two months, police tore down the camp of more than 20 tents.

Cheryl Turner, president of ONS, Organized Neighbors of Summerhill, says even though there’s been a fair share of skepticism, she appreciates the ongoing dialogue with developers. She and others have fought hard to have a seat at the table when decisions affecting residents are made.

“I know they have their plans, and we have our plans,” Turner said of developer Carter & Associates. “But I think that it is a good, healthy working relationship.”

Read the full feature at WABE.

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Written by Courtney Kueppers, Atlanta Business Chronicle