Loridans Greenspace Taking Shape In North Buckhead

ATLANTA -- In recent weeks, a five-acre site in north Buckhead has taken big strides toward becoming the next thriving park along PATH400. A community-led visioning process has concluded, an archaeological survey of a historic cemetery on the site is complete, and volunteers at three workdays last week began to clear the site of debris and invasive plants.

Loridans greenspace, near Loridans Drive and GA 400, is the northernmost Atlanta feature along the PATH400 multi-use trail before it crosses into Sandy Springs. As the former home of D.F. McClatchey Elementary School and the site of the Lowery-Stevens Cemetery, Loridans greenspace offers a unique opportunity to uncover a piece of local history and bring it to life within the community.

“We’ve always been excited about the possibilities of this greenspace, and with the vision plan in place we can move forward to realize some of that potential,” said Denise Starling, executive director of Livable Buckhead. “It’s been a hidden gem, but soon it will be a jewel for the neighborhood and everyone on PATH400 to enjoy. We’re grateful to Park Pride for lending their visioning expertise and to all of the community members who worked tirelessly on this project.”

The site’s unique character is embraced in the final vision plan, which proposes improvements that will increase pedestrian safety and access, preserve and enhance a healthy tree canopy, and provide opportunities for passive enjoyment, while rehabilitating and interpreting the historic cemetery. Proposed projects include an entry plaza with a shade structure, a lawn with art or a play structure, nature trails, and more. Park Pride and a volunteer steering committee of dedicated neighborhood leaders and nearby residents, along with representatives from North Buckhead Civic Association, Livable Buckhead, and Buckhead Heritage Society led the community in a seven-month process to develop the plan.

Implementation is already underway, beginning with an archaeological survey of the Lowery-Stevens cemetery, a nineteenth- to early twentieth-century burial ground serving former rural communities in the area. Livable Buckhead hired New South Associates to conduct the survey, which identified 60 potential gravesites – at least double the number previously believed to be there. Subsequent work by Valentino & Associates documented the locations of the gravesites so they can be preserved.

At the end of March, community volunteers began investing sweat equity in the park by collecting trash and debris and beginning to remove invasive species. Livable Buckhead and the North Buckhead Civic Association will partner on future volunteer workdays.