Atlanta has officially scooped up the 30-acre Lucinda Bunnen estate in north Buckhead, locking in a rare stretch of intact forest and its mid-century modern house so it will not be carved into a cluster of luxury home sites. City leaders say the land will be kept as public greenspace under Atlanta Parks & Recreation, protecting mature hardwood canopy, creekside habitat and a braided web of walking trails that neighbors and conservationists have been fighting to save for years.
According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, The Conservation Fund, which bought the property in late 2024, sold the estate to the City of Atlanta for $7.8 million on June 30. The sale caps a multi-year preservation push that first placed the parcel in nonprofit hands while partners worked toward permanent public ownership.
What’s Being Preserved
The 30-acre tract at 3910 Randall Mill Road NW holds dense hardwood canopy, roughly two miles of walking trails, a segment of Little Nancy Creek and an iconic mid-century residence designed by architect Cecil Alexander. That description and the site’s address are documented by Urbanize Atlanta.
How The Deal Was Funded
The Conservation Fund purchased the Bunnen estate in October 2024 for about $13.5 million, then teamed up with city officials and local nonprofits to piece together a financing package that would keep the land in public hands. Early reporting highlighted a $5 million city pledge and a roughly $5 million private gift during the initial fundraising drive, with groups such as Livable Buckhead helping move the effort forward, according to Buckhead.com.
What’s Next
The property is expected to be transformed into the Lucinda Bunnen Nature Preserve, with a focus on passive recreation and habitat protection while the city and its partners craft an access and stewardship plan. The Conservation Fund and Atlanta officials say the house will stay in place, and that the project is shifting from acquisition into restoration, trail planning and long-term management, per reporting by WABE.
Why It Matters
Keeping the Bunnen tract intact is a rare victory for tree canopy and future park access in Buckhead, where big private lots have steadily given way to high-end development. Neighbors and brokers described The Conservation Fund’s initial purchase as “historic,” and the handoff to the city turns that early promise into municipal ownership and a path toward public access, as local outlets have reported.
City officials have not set a firm schedule for opening the preserve to the public or building out trails, and questions about long-term maintenance funding are still on the table. This story will be updated as Atlanta Parks & Recreation and The Conservation Fund release more detailed implementation plans.
