Fort McPherson

Fort McPherson is a neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia. It is a community that is right near a military base and therefore has much significance to not only the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia but to the entire nation as well. The neighborhood is where the Forces Command, Army Reserve Command and the Third U.S. Army was located. It was closed a few years ago.

As far as location is concerned, Fort McPherson is located in southwestern Atlanta. The area is about three miles from downtown Atlanta and is also eleven miles away from the Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport, so the neighborhood is in a very central location in the city. The area itself is located on over 400 acres of land along with being at the historic district of the city. Fort McPherson is also part of the National Register of Historic Places as a result of its location.

Fort McPherson has plenty of places to shop, eat and spend time with the family. With many shops and parks in the area families have a great place to spend time with their loved ones. There are also places to worship as the area has numerous churches to attend at any time. The main attraction of the neighborhood is the historic district and the military base. This is one of the premier locale’s in the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia.

After the U.S. military shut its doors in 2005, Fort McPherson’s expansive site remains in limbo as developers make plans to change the face of this site. Located on the south west side of Atlanta, Fort McPherson lies to the south of Cambelton road and to the north of Lakewood parkway. The site sits on a very underdeveloped and under served section of town. It is home to thousands of residents in west Atlanta. Despite having a huge college town that is the Atlanta University Center, this area has only 1 grocery store in a 5 mile radius. Residents near Fort McPherson have to travel between 15 and 20 minutes for access to retail options. The area could be a perfect asset for residents of the West End, Capitol View and East Point.

Today, Fort Mchperson’s plight lies in the hands of a group called the “McPherson Planning Local Redevelopment Authority.” This group is a not for profit organization charged with organizing a new direction for the site. There’s no word on what progress has been made in the last 6 years. I just hope that this opportunity does not turn into another stalemate like so many other development projects around the city of Atlanta.