Shortly after announcing the redevelopment of Buttermilk Bottom, Mayor Allen turned his attention south towards Washington-Rawson. Located south of downtown, the Washington-Rawson neighborhood was adjacent to the working-class neighborhoods of Mechanicsville, Summerhill, and Peoplestown. In the late nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, it was known as a desirable in-town neighborhood with a thriving Jewish community. Throughout the mid-twentieth century, the suburbanization of Atlanta contributed to the slow decline of Washington-Rawson. In the early 1960s, Washington-Rawson was separated from downtown by the construction of expressways, and thousands of residents were displaced when their homes were demolished for urban renewal projects. Mayor Allen designated one part of the neighborhood for the construction of 1,000 public housing units, and also set aside a forty-seven-acre plot for a new stadium. Wanting to attract a major league baseball team to Atlanta, Allen chose the Washington-Rawson area to construct the new stadium due to its proximity to downtown. Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium was completed in 1965, contributing to growing grievances in surrounding neighborhoods over the false promise of urban renewal.

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