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By Angelina Uddullah, Canopy Atlanta Fellow
Ramadan is a sacred month observed by Muslims, marked by fasting from dawn until sunset. After fasting, family members share meals at Iftar, the evening meal that breaks the fast. For Bengali Muslims, a typical Iftar dinner is a feast of spiced curries, aromatic rice dishes like biryani, and crispy samosas, offering a delicious blend of tradition and culture, pictured below. Ramadan is celebrated differently across the globe, but the common thread is the sense of unity and gratitude.
Iftar means a family gathering after a day of discipline and devotion. I don’t personally fast due to health reasons, but I enjoy preparing and serving those who do.
One West End resident told planners to “Go back. Start over again.” and another said they should “sell the entire parcel” during a discussion about the Peeples Street project.
Atlanta Public Schools owns the 6.1 acre vacant site adjacent to Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard in the heart of West End. It has partnered with Atlanta Urban Development and City of Atlanta to potentially construct townhomes, mulitplexes, and houses on the site. APS has said the site must contain affordable housing, and APS must retain ownership through a 50-year lease.
Last week’s presentation at the West End Neighborhood Development meeting came after months of community engagement, but residents said the project has too many rental units in a neighborhood already comprised of more than 60 percent renters.
“Look at what the possibilities are and what the benefit to the West End is,” said Carl Nes, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1989. “The benefit to the West End with rental housing: they come and they go. The benefit to those people who buy the houses and to the West End: we get vested owners who have equity day one.”
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