The city of Dunwoody is asking residents to provide input on what they would like to see at the former Austin Elementary School site at 5435 Roberts Drive.
The City Council approved demolition of the school in September. City officials said the school was in such bad shape that renovating the building into something else wasn’t financially feasible, though some residents thought more could have been done to try and save the building. Now, the city is looking to turn that 12-acre site into a public park.
“With this many acres in one location, we have a lot of options moving forward,” city Parks and Recreation Director Brent Walker said in a press release. “The space could be used for athletic facilities. It has nice wooded areas for passive use and natural surface trails.”
The main school building, gym and former trailer pad will all be demolished under the contract. Rodent removal will also be part of the demolition, according to Walker. Once demolished, the public can use the site for green space while the city plans future park developments.
The elementary school site has two playgrounds which will be renovated for public use. An outdoor classroom and garden on the site will also stay there along with an asphalt parking lot, Walker told the council at a September meeting.
Residents can take a survey here until Nov. 6 to give their opinions on how the park should be developed.
The city got the elementary school site when DeKalb County School District wanted to build a new Austin Elementary School to help alleviate overcrowding. The new school opened at 5321 Roberts Drive, where the city’s former baseball fields were, in January 2020, and the city took over the former elementary school site.