(ConservativeHub.com) – On Tuesday, June 6, the Atlanta City Council greenlit funding for the police and fire training center to be built in the city across 85 acres. In a 11-4 vote, the council approved $31 million to be provided, and the lease-back deal which would require the city to pay $36 million over the course of three decades for the facility.
The remaining $90 million required for the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, which will have a shooting range, a “mock village,” and a nature trail, will most likely be funded through donations given to the Atlanta Police Foundation.
The project has faced quite a bit of opposition, with some calling it “Cop City,” according to ABC News. Only 14 hours before the final approval of the project’s funding came, residents voiced their opposition to the construction. A report from Time noted that Atlanta’s city council is left-leaning, which makes the project’s approval a rare cooperation between Democrats and Republicans.
Some of the center’s construction has already started, as the city council initially gave their approval for the project back in 2021. Since then, there have been many who have protested the construction of the training facility, including activists opposing police brutality and environmental activists. Environmental groups in particular have been against the tearing down of the South River Forest which will be required for the construction to go forward.
Protesters and authorities have clashed on a number of occasions due to the project. Most notably, ABC News reported that in January, the police shot and killed Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, an environmental activist, while raiding a forest campground. Many people have continued to protest since then, with a number of individuals facing arrests and charges.
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