It’s Official: Zonolite Community is a ‘Slum’

The DeKalb Board of Commissioners and CEO Burrell Ellis have officially declared the Zonolite community in Virginia Highland as a slum.

On Monday, Ellis announced the approval of the so-called Opportunity Zone Designation and Urban Redevelopment Plan that targets 15 county areas.

Employers that create two or more jobs in the community will receive $3,500 per job, per year for five years toward income tax and state withholding.

“This unfortunate language would not be used if given a choice,” Ellis said in a statement. “The Urban Redevelopment Act includes language that is outdated. This language, however, has been used by many other jurisdictions including the cities of Atlanta, Roswell, Alpharetta, Marietta and East Point, and Cobb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties in order to obtain Opportunity Zone status.”

The Board of Commissioners approved the plan at its regular meeting May 28. 

The Opportunity Zones are part of the 1955 Urban Redevelopment Act. Qualifying areas have 15 percent or greater poverty rates and are labeled with the terminology of “blight and slum.” 

Other DeKalb areas that were declared slums are:

• Bouldercrest
• Kensington
• Lithonia Industrial
• Montreal Industrial
• Panthersville
• Ponce de Leon
• Rock Mountain
• Royal Atlanta
• Snapfinger Woods
• Stonecrest
• Stone Mountain
• Tilson       
• Wesley Chapel

See Also:

Is Your DeKalb Neighborhood a ‘Slum?’