On Friday, August 17, Westside Future Fund (WFF) hosted its 15th Transform Westside Summit of 2018.

We opened the Summit with a devotion from community members Tes Marshall and Da’Rel Patterson of The Unity Collective.

WFF’s executive director, John Ahmann, then led Summit-goers through an update on the Westside revitalization efforts, hitting highlights from its execution partners within each of WFF’s four impact areas: safety and security, community health and wellness, cradle-to-career education and mixed-income communities/community retention.

But the peak of the program was the reveal of the plans for the much-anticipated The Home Depot Backyard, presented by AMB Sports and Entertainment (AMBSE), the parent company of the Mercedes Benz Stadium and a subsidiary of Arthur Blank’s AMB Group LLC.

In just a few weeks, on September 12 to be exact, the former site of the Georgia Dome will officially be unveiled as The Home Depot Backyard. The 11-acre multi-purpose site will feature arts, entertainment and cultural experiences for members of the Westside community as well as visitors of the venue.

AMBSE’s director of community activation, Latonda Henderson, led the presentation, highlighting site plans and amenities with detailed renderings as well as an insider’s look into the development of the project.

 

Henderson was joined by three of the individuals responsible for bringing the Backyard experience to life: Don Rovak, AMBSE’s vice president of ticketing and sales; Heather Prill, The Home Depot Foundation’s senior manager of strategic partnerships and grant programs; and Matt Dale, vice president with Darden and Company, the real estate and development firm behind the construction of the Mercedes Benz Stadium and the Backyard.

Watch the full Summit presentation below!