Former Atlanta Medical Center to be torn down
It was the site of one of Atlanta’s major hospitals for more than 120 years but what used to be Atlanta Medical Center soon will be no more. Wellstar will begin demolishing the site on Monday.
ATLANTA – The former Atlanta Medical Center, a major healthcare institution for more than 120 years, will be demolished starting Monday, with no plans to replace it with another major medical facility.
What we know:
Healthcare provider Wellstar, which shut down the hospital in fall 2022 citing poor economic performance, is partnering with developer Integral Group to redevelop the site into what they describe as a “community hub.” The new plans call for housing, parks, retail, and office space—but no hospital.
What they’re saying:
Dr. Cecil Bennett, a former staff member at Atlanta Medical Center for 15 years and a physician with Newnan Family Medicine, is sharply critical of the plan.
“This community needs another level one trauma center,” Bennett said. “It’s an absolute travesty that that hospital is not only gone, but they have no plan to put in anything healthcare related. It’s an absolutely horrible idea. The community doesn’t need a park. It needs a health center where we have primary care, we have specialty care and we have urgent care.”
Councilmember Amir Farokhi, who represents the district where the hospital once stood, acknowledged the loss but sees value in the redevelopment.
“The loss of a trauma one center here in this part of town definitely impacts folks south of I-20, because it was a regional trauma one center,” Farokhi said. “We need more housing in the neighborhood. Market-rate and below market-rate housing is what it will provide, which is terrific.”
City Councilman Michael Julian Bond, who represents Post 1 At-Large, also expressed concern for underserved residents in the area, where nearly a third of the Old Fourth Ward population lives in poverty.
“There are 300-400,000 residents in Atlanta and Fulton County who don’t have a major medical facility south of I-20 or in downtown,” Bond said. “It’s always good to have the space reused and reimagined rather than lay dormant.”
Wellstar’s Response:
Wellstar has said the new development would include “health and well-being resources.”
The company sent this statement that read in part: “Wellstar is committed to ensuring the redevelopment serves the needs of Atlanta while incorporating input from residents of the surrounding neighborhood.”
What we don’t know:
Despite calls from some in the medical community to prioritize healthcare in the redevelopment, Wellstar and Integral have not announced any plans to include urgent care or primary care services on the site.
SEE ALSO:
The Source: Dr. Cecil Bennett, Newnan Family Medicine and former Atlanta Medical Center physician; Councilmember Amir Farokhi; and Councilman Michael Julian Bond spoke with FOX 5’s Christopher King for this article. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports were also used. This article was updated to add a response from Wellstar.
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