DECATUR, Ga. — Plans for building an early childhood learning center on a piece of property in Decatur are facing a new challenge from organizers who say it’s an important part of the city’s history that should be left alone.

The property at 346 W. Trinity Place in Decatur, Georgia, is part of historic Beacon Hill, which was the Black community in segregated Decatur.

Former residents gather each year to celebrate Decatur Day and their history. Decatur Day organizers are seeking a historic designation for the property. They are also calling on the city of Decatur to fast-track the process.  

The organizers and supporters of Decatur Day will hold a rally and press conference on Friday, Jan. 16, at the corner of Trinity and Electric Avenue in downtown Decatur. The historic designation would secure the last remaining green space in downtown Decatur, which is “sacred ground” to Beacon Hill residents, according to a news release from Decatur Day organizers.

The organizers believe the land can serve an educational purpose by telling the story of the Beacon Hill community.

The former Beacon Hill community was displaced by urban renewal efforts. The community, previously known as the Bottom, was a tight-knit community of schools, churches and businesses. The boundaries today are North McDonough Street on the east, West Trinity Place on the north, Water Street on the west and Howard Avenue to the south, according to the Decatur Housing Authority.

Beacon Hill was dismantled using a combination of ordinance changes, eminent domain and the inequitable practices associated with “urban renewal” in the 1950s and 60s. Many have described the former Beacon community as one big family.

“This land is sacred to us because of the legacy and our forefathers and our ancestors. You can feel their spirit in it for us,” Decatur Day organizer Doris Sims Johnson said. “The roots are not only the trees, but the people, the human roots that are fitted right here on this land. We congratulate and call on newly elected Mayor Tony Powers and Mayor Pro Tem Lesa Fronk to join with us in preserving this land for present and future generations.”

City Schools of Decatur has continued pursuing the ECLC plans despite growing resistance to the project.

A DeKalb County judge recently validated a $52 million grant for CSD to construct the ECLC and make improvements at Decatur High School, after several residents challenged the validation in court.

“Many believe this process has lacked sufficient community engagement and continues a Decatur tradition of unilateral, nontransparent decision making which is damaging to the land, people, and the environment. There are alternative solutions available to the City Schools of Decatur to address the recognized achievement gap issues,” the news release says. “The city of Decatur made a promise to address harm that has been done. Preserving this land is a concrete first step in the reparations process that needs to happen for the community to heal from past policy decisions that were rooted in the system of white supremacy.”

Photographer Dean Hesse contributed to this article.