I-85 Atlanta, GA (photo submitted by Rod T)

Above is a rendering of the proposed renovation/redevelopment of Beacon Hill complex, designed by Rutledge Alcock Architects and Lord Cultural Resources, after months of public meetings and community feedback.

Dave has a report from last night’s presentation on InDecatur, with a few more pictures of the renderings and good, detailed descriptions of the proposed changes.

In a nutshell, the eastern side keeps the old facade of the historic Beacon Hill building, but rotates the gym inside.  The western side features an entirely new police department, and the central courtyard – which features a movie screen on the southern wall – would “serve as a meeting center for the active living, arts, and police components.”, according to Dave.

Dave reports that the cost would be between $15-$20 million.  There currently is no planned funding for this project.

Decatur High School’s average score on Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) declined versus last year, according to data released on September 13th.

After DHS’s total score climbed 22 points to 1577 in 2009, the high school registered a 64 point decline in 2010 with a 1513 total score.  Decatur High’s statewide ranking also fell accordingly, down from 30th last year to 66th in 2010, according to data provided by the AJC. “Reading” scores declined the most of the three subject areas, down 25 points from last year to a 516.  “Math” scores also fell, down 20 points to a 503, while average scores for “Writing” fell 19 points to 494.

A statement by the City Schools of Decatur sent to Decatur Metro this morning acknowledged the school system’s recent declines, but noted that Decatur still placed in the top 25% of Georgia high schools with 100 students or more who took the test.  It also highlighted Decatur High’s Reading scores, which are up 5% over the past five years.

However, Superintendent Phyllis Edwards acknowledged there was room for improvement in Math. “There is a five-year downward trend for math in Decatur and we are going to reverse that.”

The statement also noted that Decatur High boasted a 91% participation rate on the 2010 SATs, while “many schools in the top 30 have less than 40% of their students take the SAT”.

Superintendent Edwards stated she was “proud of the direction DHS is taking in encouraging more students to take these tests and gain experience on this type of test-taking. This approach says it is more important to allow students opportunities at test-taking even at the risk of lower overall test scores.”  According to the AJC data, 21 more Decatur students took the test in 2010 than in 2009.

The national 2010 SAT average was a 1509.

Same store. Same reaction.  Slightly different argument.  From the AJC…

When residents in part of south Cobb’s Austell area found out that the new building going up along Six Flags Drive was slated to be a discount retail chain store, they went into action.

E-mails flew, county officials were contacted, meetings were convened and a community was engaged.

“It was disappointing,” said Brittany Innes, 29, who has lived in the Chimney Hill subdivision, which is adjacent to the store site at the corner of Six Flags Drive and Factory Shoals Road, for two years. “This is an area of working-class minorities, yet you won’t bring in better businesses? You continue to bring in stores like Dollar General because we’re seen as underserved.”

…Innes and her neighbors, also homeowners from neighborhoods surrounding the store site, would have preferred a major grocery store, higher-end retail, a bank or some county service come to the corner instead of the discount store that has a reputation of being located in poor neighborhoods, they said.

Hmmm…me thinks that Dollar General might need a multi-million dollar image makeover.

Let’s start with taking the “Dollar” out of the name and changing it to something Swedish.  How about the Swede’s word for frugal?  “Sparsam”!  Then change the sign colors from an early 1980s yellow and black to something that incorporates a lot of bright blue and presto!  A mini, neighborhood Ikea!

Thanks to Jenn for pointing out this article.

From the Decatur Arts Alliance…

Images of a running zebra will flash across the Decatur streetscape this Friday evening, September 24. After making its journey through Decatur, the zebra image will be projected on the front of the Decatur Court building at 315 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. for 30-45 minutes on Friday night.

The artistic installment, Lima Lives!, honors and celebrates the life and spirit of Lima, the zebra that escaped from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus last winter and made a mad dash through downtown Atlanta. For nearly one hour, this courageous animal managed to break free of his circus routine and run wild in the streets of Atlanta. Riffing on the excitement of multiple sightings of him that day, Lima Lives! will roam Atlanta at night.

The project premieres in Decatur and features nightly projections around Atlanta culminating October 1 in Castleberry. Lima Lives! is presented by Flux Projects, a non-profit arts organization that commissions and presents temporary public art projects for large audiences beyond the walls of traditional arts venues.