Business claims old sinkhole could put Music Midtown festivalgoers at risk
By Jennifer Lifsey and WANF staff
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ATLANTA (WANF) — In just days, thousands of people will pack into Piedmont Park for Music Midtown. But business owners in the area said an old sinkhole could put festivalgoers at risk.
“We have developed a motion to ask the judge to stop the use of the Piedmont Park Community Center building until a proper test or testing has been done at the location where a massive sinkhole formed back in 2018,” said lawyer Simon Bloom during a news conference Tuesday morning.
The owners of The Nook claim the sinkhole was never investigated by an engineer and wasn’t properly filled. They said it still poses a danger to people picking up festival tickets at will call inside the community center.
On Tuesday, Piedmont Park Conservancy said in a statement that it is committed to providing a safe experience for visitors.
“Any claims of unresolved structural concerns to the Piedmont Park Community Center building are simply unfounded and untrue,” the group said in a statement. “The timing of the recent press conference by a lawyer representing a former tenant in a lawsuit against the Conservancy is clearly opportunistic in its effort to resurface concerns around a routine repair that took place nearly five years ago. Since the repair was successfully completed, not only has a prominent structural engineer deemed the repair proper and the structure sound, but two national restaurant brands with full knowledge of the situation have successfully and safely operated within the building.”
The conservancy said it would like to assure “all Music Midtown attendees that these claims and concerns are inaccurate, and we look forward to hosting the iconic music festival again this weekend.”
Music Midtown is set to start on Friday.
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