The Blank Foundation Outperforms a Community Benefit Agreement in Westside Atlanta

The Blank Foundation Outperforms a Community Benefit Agreement in Westside Atlanta

The Georgia Dome, home to the Atlanta Falcons football team, was built in 1992 in the city's Westside, destroying Lightning, a middle-class Black neighborhood. Plans to revitalize the Westside as part of the Georgia Dome construction remained unfulfilled so when a new facility to replace the Dome — the Mercedes-Benz Stadium — was proposed in 2013, the project was met with strong neighborhood skepticism. As part of an agreement to replace the Dome with the new stadium, which would serve as the home of both the Falcons and the Atlanta United Major League Soccer team, Arthur Blank, the owner of both teams, promised assistance to revitalize the English Avenue, Vine City, and Castleberry Hill neighborhoods surrounding the site of the proposed stadium.

The Atlanta City Council approved a community benefits plan for the new stadium project in 2013. The plan sought to provide job training, health and wellness programs, economic development, and affordable housing development and preservation, among other benefits, to Westside residents. To help pay for these improvements, the plan established the Westside Tax Allocation District, including a $15 million community improvement fund for brick-and-mortar projects, and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation committed $15 million to the Westside Neighborhood Prosperity Fund for human services programs. Invest Atlanta, the city's redevelopment agency, managed the tax allocation district's improvement fund, which included assistance for two residential projects. The Hagar multifamily rehabilitation created 10 affordable units for veterans, seniors, and persons living with disabilities. Rehabilitation assistance for owner-occupants helped fund repairs and energy-efficiency upgrades for approximately 40 homes. Other improvement fund projects included a community resource center providing job training and other employment-related services, a park, and a retail center.

For its part of the community benefits agreement, the Blank Family Foundation pledged $15 million to the Westside Neighborhood Prosperity Fund, which supported projects to improve residents' health, education, and welfare; preserve the Westside's cultural heritage; and promote public and private investments. The foundation's community outreach identified jobs as Westside's top priority, so the Prosperity Fund designated some of the foundation's donation to Westside Works for job training and placement in the construction, healthcare, information technology, and child development fields. Blank intended that pledge to be the first of many, stating that revitalizing the Westside would require investments over several decades. In 2017, the foundation pledged another $15 million to the Prosperity Fund and partnered with other organizations, including the city, neighborhood associations, businesses, and nonprofits, to participate in neighborhood improvements, which resulted in $200 million in additional investments between 2014 and 2021.

After its second pledge, the foundation decided to accelerate its funding of the Westside's revitalization. The foundation supplemented its grants with an additional $27 million and, in 2022, pledged $5 million per year over the next decade toward increasing economic and housing opportunities for legacy Westside residents. This new focus was a response to community concerns about displacement as public and private investments increased in the neighborhood. The foundation began this effort with a $2.4 million grant allocated to six nonprofit organizations. The Westside Future Fund received $1.04 million for rental housing development. Additional funding supported financial planning education as a part of the Westside Future Fund homeownership program and Westside Works job training. The Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership received funds to strengthen the ecosystem of affordable housing stakeholders in the public, private, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors.

In 2023, the Blank Family Foundation exceeded its pledge of $5 million and instead provided more than $23 million in grants to support affordable housing and financial inclusion in the Westside. The foundation awarded $10 million to the Westside Future Fund's Home on the Westside program to promote rental and ownership housing opportunities. The program gives preference to prospective renters and homeowners who are connected to the community through residency, work, or school. The Atlanta Trust received funds to build single-family houses with an accessory dwelling unit for first-time homeowners. Funding for First Stop Staffing was used to hire staff for neighborhood programs offering job placement and training for people facing employment barriers such as homelessness, criminal history, mental health challenges, and veteran insecurity. Westside Works received $6.2 million for employment training to fill positions in the sports and entertainment, hospitality, retail, and construction fields, and the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund received $6.2 million to provide 200 female residents with a guaranteed income for 3 years.

In September 2024, the Blank Family Foundation awarded nearly $4.5 million to three organizations to enhance Westside residents' financial security through workforce development for emerging industries. Atlanta Technical College received $2.5 million to train 400 residents in electrical linework and transportation, distribution, and logistics. Program graduates will earn credentials and receive job placement opportunities. Goodwill of North Georgia was awarded $1.5 million to train 250 residents seeking employment in solar, electric vehicle charging, and other clean energy technologies. Successful participants in the program will receive certifications, career coaching, and opportunities for additional credentials. The remainder of the grant went to the city's Department of Labor and Employment Services to establish a program offering paid job experience, skills training, and job placement to Westside residents, particularly those facing barriers to employment.

The Blank Family Foundation, whose efforts in the Westside began in 2007, before the city approved the development of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, has contributed more than $106 million to Westside projects and programs. The foundation has donated more than $1.3 billion to numerous organizations with a focus on five key initiatives, one of which is Atlanta's Westside. The foundation anticipates giving another $1 billion over the coming decade.