Brookhaven officials held a press conference on Friday to introduce its “Buford Highway Cultural Corridor” resolution to the public.
The Brookhaven City Council voted to name the area of Buford Highway the “Buford Highway Cultural Corridor” at a Jan. 11 meeting, officially designating the area as a cultural hub of the city. Multiple city officials gathered at the Northeast Plaza Shopping Center at 3307 Buford Highway on Feb. 18 to officially introduce the resolution to the public.
“I am proud to be your representative in this most diverse community in Brookhaven,” said Councilmember John Funny, who was elected to represent District 4 in November of 2021. “I’m also proud that one of the first measures I acted upon as your council member was the adoption of this resolution to recognize Buford highway as the Buford Highway Cultural Corridor.”
The designation comes out of the city’s Arts and Culture Master Plan, and will serve as the first step in an attempt to revamp the area and celebrate its multi-cultural aspects.
“It gives us the opportunity to honor and celebrate the heritage and contributions of the cultural and ethnically diverse community of this vibrant area,” Funny said. “As a vision document, it sets the foundation to bring about the improvements in the quality of life that every community wants.”
The resolution calls for the city and the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce to collaborate more with the cities of Chamblee and Doraville to coordinate events and create signage and marketing efforts for arts and cultural events in the corridor. It also calls for the city to work with the Chamblee-Doraville Community Improvement District to advance capital improvement projects along the corridor.
The resolution includes a focus on the incorporation of public art into Buford Highway’s streetscapes as well as the development of an annual international festival. The plan would also have the city collaborate with local nonprofits, such as We Love Buford Highway and the Latin American Association, to foster educational opportunities that support local arts in the area.
Lily Pabian, executive director of We Love Buford Highway and a member of the city’s Arts and Culture Commission, spoke optimistically about the resolution as a good place to start.
“Buford Highway is not merely a destination to escape to. It is a home made up of a million miles worth of stories, where so many get to live in the precious footprints of belonging,” Pabian said. “Our organization We Love Buford Highway works to preserve the multicultural identity of this corridor. This resolution is one giant step in that direction.”
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