ATLANTA — The City of Atlanta is honoring the city’s first woman mayor by renaming a park and busy downtown road after her.
On Monday, the Atlanta City Council voted unanimously to rename Central Avenue, where Atlanta City Hall sits, and Westside Reservoir Park after former Mayor Shirley Franklin.
Central Avenue will now be known as Shirley Clarke Franklin Boulevard and Westside Reservoir Park will be renamed Shirley Clarke Franklin Park.
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Franklin served two terms as Atlanta’s mayor from 2002 to 2010 and was the first Black woman to serve as mayor of a major city in the modern South.
The city council says her time in office is marked by her contributions to the Atlanta BeltLine, improvements to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and development of city parks, affordable housing and more.
“Renaming Central Avenue and Westside Reservoir Park after former Mayor Shirley Franklin is a testament to her enduring legacy and profound impact on Atlanta. As someone who witnessed her leadership firsthand, I can attest to her firmness, fairness, and boldness in tackling difficult issues. Mayor Franklin’s contributions to Atlanta are immeasurable,” said Councilwoman Andrea Boone.
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Westside Reservoir Park, which opened in 2021, is the largest park in the City of Atlanta at 280 acres. It’s located on the site of the former Bellwood Quarry, which is in the area of Marietta Boulevard and Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway.
The park also provides 2.4 billion gallons of emergency drinking water for Atlanta’s residents.
It’s unclear when the name changes will officially go into effect.
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