Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has signed an executive order stopping Atlanta Medical Center from being repurposed after it closes in November.

The announcement of the hospital’s anticipated closure has been met with much controversy. Mayor Dickens himself said he had “extreme concerns” about the hospital’s closure after they made the announcement without consulting his office.

Regardless, Wellstar Health System plans to have the hospital shut down completely by November 1.

Now, Mayor Dickens is looking past that closure date to the next steps for the 120-year-old building.

In an executive order signed Monday morning, the mayor instituted a temporary moratorium on redeveloping the 25-acre site.

“The Atlanta Medical Center campus is a vital cornerstone of the Old Fourth Ward community,” Mayor Dickens said. “The City of Atlanta has an essential interest in ensuring that any reuse or redevelopment of this property is in line with the community’s needs and master plan. This moratorium will provide the City necessary time to review the impact of the hospital’s closure on the community and consider possible rezoning.”

In 2008, Atlanta Medical Center was identified as a piece of essential infrastructure in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood.

The order requires the Department of City Planning to deny any applications for rezoning, building permits, land disturbances and more.

The moratorium lasts until the next regularly scheduled Atlanta City Council meeting, which is currently scheduled for October 3. Mayor Dickens says he intends to work with the council to extend the moratorium further.

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