Atlanta dedicates Westside Park as Shirley Clark Franklin Park; Central Avenue renamed

Atlanta officials and members of the public on March 18, 2025, dedicated the city’s largest green space as Shirley Clark Franklin Park and announced that a stretch of Central Avenue will be renamed Shirley Clark Franklin Boulevard, honoring the former mayor’s role in buying and converting the former Bellwood Quarry into a reservoir and park.

The dedication at the newly named park in northwest Atlanta brought Mayor Andre Dickens; Council members including Dustin Hillis, Jason Dozier, Andrea Boone and Marcy Collier Overstreet; members of the Shirley Clark Franklin commission; family members of Franklin; and community groups. The City Council voted unanimously to rename the park and the street, officials said; the transcript did not specify roll-call tallies.

Why it matters: City leaders said the site — purchased under Franklin’s administration and developed as Westside Park and a 2.4-billion-gallon reservoir — improved the city’s water security and created a major public amenity for neighborhoods long described as underserved. Speakers framed the naming as recognition of Franklin’s investments in infrastructure and youth programs and as part of a broader effort to honor women in the city’s public landscape.

Speakers described the project’s technical and civic significance. Council member Dustin Hillis, who represents the district where the park sits, called it “a moment of reflection, gratitude, and celebration of the legacy of one of our city’s most transformative leaders,” noting the park’s origin as a purchased quarry that was converted to a regional park and reservoir. The dedication program cited the reservoir’s capacity and its role in extending emergency drinking-water supply: officials described the site as a 2.4 billion gallon reservoir that provides about a 30-day emergency supply of water, with the potential for longer depending on rationing.

Mayor Andre Dickens said the day’s turnout reflected broad support across city and county leadership and lauded Franklin’s long record of public service. “You ain’t never been here because you ain’t never been to Shirley Clark Franklin Park until today,” Dickens said, to laughter and applause, using a familiar, colloquial turn of phrase. He credited Franklin’s leadership on infrastructure and her long-term focus on projects that would benefit future generations.

Family members also spoke. Casey Cabrel Franklin, introduced as a family representative, addressed the crowd on behalf of the Franklin family, saying, “Mommy Shirley, you’re an inspiration and continue to inspire and guide me through the journey we call life.”

In brief remarks, Shirley Clark Franklin thanked colleagues and staff who originated and advanced the project and placed the effort in the context of teamwork. “This park wasn’t my vision. Like a lot of things that we got done in city hall, it was somebody else’s idea, and my job was to figure out how to do it,” Franklin said, acknowledging staff and past commissioners who advocated for the acquisition and development.

The program included a formal roll call of the commission members and recognition of partner organizations and donors who supported events surrounding the dedication. Officials noted earlier steps in the naming process: the City Council adopted a resolution on March 18, 2024, to create the commission that recommended the renaming. The dedication was ceremonial; no additional policy actions or funding allocations were announced during the event.

Background: Visitors were reminded during remarks that the site sits on the former Bellwood Quarry; speakers recounted the quarry’s difficult history and its later transformation into a city asset. Presenters also referenced Franklin’s Clean Water Initiative and the administration’s investments in water, sewer and parks during her tenure, including figures cited in remarks that the administration invested billions in infrastructure (transcript references included $3.5 billion rising to $6 billion across projects). Time Magazine recognition (2005) and the Morehouse College placement of the Martin Luther King Jr. papers (cited as 2006 in remarks) were mentioned as elements of Franklin’s broader legacy.

The dedication closed with a ceremonial unveiling of the park sign and group photographs. Officials said the new park name and the street renaming are intended as long-term commemorations; no implementation timeline or ordinance numbers were specified in the transcript.