The Morningside-Monroe Civic Association (MMCA) was formed July 9, 1965, to fight the proposed route of Interstate 485 (I-485). This group separated from the Morningside-Lenox Park Association (MLPA) which was initially formed to fight the project. MLPA hired consulting traffic planners to suggest a new alternative to the Georgia Department of Transportation's (GDOT) proposed routes of A,B,C, and D. The traffic planners suggested a new route, Route E, which would cut through the properties of residents who formed MMCA. The new association hired former Atlanta Mayor, William B. Hartsfield, as their attorney. Hartsfield lived near the proposed Route E.

Subsequent proposals by civic organizations for legislation to return the land to private ownership failed. The swath of land acquired by the GDOT sat untouched for more than two decades and, as of 2013, is Freedom Park.

From 1964 to 1974, civic organizations fought the proposed I-485 with lawsuits. Over the ten year period, the GDOT acquired a large cross-shaped section of land, comprised of over 1,007 parcels, and razed over 500 houses in preparation for building the new road. Civic organizations were successful in stopping the construction of the road. In 1974, Georgia Governor George Busby instructed the GDOT to remove the highway from its long-term transportation plans.