DeKalb County has filed a lawsuit against Blackhall Real Estate Phase II LLC, alleging that the company failed to deliver promised improvements under a 2021 land-exchange agreement involving Intrenchment Creek Park.
The county says it exchanged about 40 acres of parkland for roughly 53 acres along Constitution Road owned by the company, which was associated with the former Blackhall Studios. The agreement also required Blackhall to fund up to $1.5 million in park improvements and provide a further $100,000 towards acquiring green space.
According to the lawsuit, those commitments included new trails, a boardwalk and creek overlook, a trailhead on Bouldercrest Road, environmental work, improved signage and a pedestrian crossing. The county alleges that the work has not been completed and is seeking damages to be determined at trial.
DeKalb County alleges breach of land-swap agreement
County officials say the legal action is intended to enforce the terms of the agreement and protect the public interest. DeKalb County chief executive Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said she had a duty to ensure residents received the benefits negotiated as part of the deal.
The agreement allowed the public to continue using the land transferred to Blackhall until construction of a film studio began. The county’s complaint alleges that no studio was built, while access to parts of the site was later restricted after trees and park pathways were removed.
Blackhall had said the land would support an expansion of its studio operations. However, the lawsuit alleges that the company’s founder, Ryan Millsap, sold his interest in the studio complex before the land-exchange agreement was completed, without DeKalb County’s knowledge.
The county’s action follows years of dispute over the swap. Intrenchment Creek Park was closed by a county executive order in March 2023 after officials said safety hazards, including traps containing protruding nails, had been found in the area during a period of protests near the site of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.
DeKalb County has since reopened part of the land under the name Michelle Obama Park. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held last week, although the county maintains that Blackhall has still not met its contractual obligations under the exchange.
The company and Millsap had not responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit at the time of publication.
