A DeKalb County legislator is proposing to name the Glenwood Ave. bridge over Interstate 20 for William E. Flippin, Sr., longtime pastor of the Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church.
State Rep. Saira Draper (D-Atlanta) has introduced a resolution in the General Assembly to dedicate the State Road 260 bridge as the Reverend Dr. William E. Flippin, Sr. Bridge "in honor of his achievements, accomplishments, and contributions to the State of Georgia."
"Over the past three decades leading The Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church, Reverend Flippin has established numerous programs and workshops which have improved the spiritual and educational growth of the church and the surrounding community, including annual holiday giving drives, NAACP partnerships, self-help programs, Alcoholics Anonymous services, HIV/AIDS resources, and COVID-19 testing and vaccinations," the resolution says.
"Under Reverend Flippin's guiding hand, numerous projects have been constructed to help the community, including the Grove Gardens at East Lake, a 70 unit affordable housing community serving seniors; the Grove Farm, a fully functioning and federally designated urban farm created to increase access to fresh produce for low-income members of the community; and the William E. Flippin Family Life Center, which offers a state of the art gymnasium, classrooms, and conference facilities."
Legislative co-sponsors of the measure are Reps. Billy Mitchell (D-Stone Mountain), Karen Bennett (D-Stone Mountain), Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) and Omari Crawford (D-Decatur). The resolution has been read twice in the House and would be subject to review by the House Transportation Committee.
The 109-year-old church, which built a new state-of-the-art 1,500-seat Worship Center in 2014, is located at 1879-1921 Glenwood Ave. Flippin was recently a member of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens' transition team for his new administration.
