Piedmont Park Conservancy sends letter with COVID_19 updates to its Patrons

Piedmont Park is an Atlanta staple. The historic park that spans more than 200 acres is one of the most popular (and beautiful) spots in Midtown Atlanta. From music festivals to community based events or just picnic-ing in the park or playing with your dogs, Piedmont Park has now become the to-go place for cabin fevered self-quarantined Atlantans.

The President of the Piedmont Park Conservancy provided COVID_19 updates as it relates to park business and the public so we felt it was worth sharing:

I am writing to you today because of the new reality that COVID-19 has brought to Piedmont Park.

Piedmont Park, already the most visited attraction in Atlanta, has seen an immense surge in visitation since St. Patrick’s Day weekend when Atlanta companies, schools and local attractions all began to close and move to home-based activities. Visit the Park on any given day, and you would think it was a summer Saturday in the Park with some sort of event happening. But instead, we are seeing people who just need to get out of their homes, clear their minds and move their muscles in an open, 200+ acre space that doesn’t threaten their social distancing efforts.

The Piedmont Park Conservancy is working harder than ever. Our small landscape crew is continuing to operate in order to keep up with the park demand. Director of Operations David Esslinger is strategically rotating and distancing the crew in order to preserve our workforce so that everyone can enjoy Piedmont Park for however long this lasts. Eight men, David, Stanley, Derek, Alan, John, Lorenzo, Todd and Michael, are showing up to contribute to something much bigger than themselves.

Right now, City of Atlanta parks are open. Our bathrooms need more cleaning, and we recently obtained 30 extra trash bins which need emptying. We also made an investment of adding soap dispensers to all of Piedmont Park’s bathrooms, and are funding the soap supply throughout this time, even though we typically rely on city funds for bathroom maintenance. 

Even if mandates relating to isolation or gatherings become more stringent, Piedmont Park is in full bloom: the grass will still grow, plants and trees will still need watering, and bushes will need trimming. Without focused care and attention, it doesn’t take long for beautiful Piedmont Park to not be so beautiful.

We are adjusting to operational disruptions that nonprofits everywhere are experiencing - Our volunteer groups are no longer a resource. Two of our three revenue streams, public programs and facility rentals, are and will be experiencing a significant loss for the foreseeable future. But thanks to a dedicated staff, committed board of directors and friends like you, I know we will be able to weather these unprecedented times together.

We encourage you to visit our alerts and closures page for the latest updates: https://www.piedmontpark.org/alerts-closures/ Please never hesitate to contact us if we can provide any information or be of service.

Thank you for your continued passion and interest in beautiful Piedmont Park. 

Mark Banta
President and CEO
Piedmont Park Conservancy

Stay healthy. Stay safe.

FASHIONADO