The master developers for a long-debated project that would pull buses, trains, light rail and streetcars into a hub in the "gulch" area of downtown Atlanta will introduce themselves to the public and take suggestions on Wednesday.
The kick-off meeting comes after decades of unfulfilled hopes that the sunken area could be remade into something more than a mishmash of railroad tracks and parking lots -- a prime spot for Sunday afternoon tailgating at Falcons games, but otherwise a gash in the middle of downtown.
The developers -- Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises Inc. and Atlanta firms Cousins Properties Inc. and Integral Group LLC -- are expected to discuss how the "multi-modal passenger terminal" could reduce traffic through downtown Atlanta. But they may face skepticism about the city's chances of finally getting its version of New York's Grand Central Station.
They may also field questions from residents of the nearby Vine City and English Avenue neighborhoods about whether the massive construction project at the sunken site would make stormwater runoff and flooding worse.
"The last thing we want to do is get started without enough public input about which plan to pursue," said Jim Richardson, a senior vice president at Forest City.
One thing is different than in years past: the team of contractors has a $12.2 million contract in hand from Georgia's Department of Transportation for a new master plan. Backers of the project hope it is seed money for bigger things, and that construction will start late next year.
Proposals for the area now call for a terminal to bring together light rail, Amtrak, Greyhound, MARTA and other forms of transit on nearly 120 acres of undeveloped land near the Georgia Dome, CNN Center, and Five Points MARTA Station.
Costs have not been worked out because plans are in the early stages. But projects around the country give a hint of the possible expense. San Francisco's Transbay Transit Center is budgeted to cost $1.5 billion, and the redevelopment of Denver's Union Station to allow for more trains and buses is expected to cost $484 million.
What comes next will depend largely on the concepts for the transit station the master developers come up with, and which one Georgia's Department of Transportation chooses. Those plans are still being developed -- taxi stands and places for car-sharing services such as Zipcar are among the possibilities -- with environmental reviews and more public meetings coming in the summer and fall.
Richardson estimated that planners, academics and others have produced 20 or more studies on how to better use the gulch area over the past few decades. What remains is to pick the best concepts and go for it, he said.
"There have been enough studies done," Richardson said. "Now, we're just trying to make this become reality."
The project inspires grand hopes. One study released earlier this year estimated that the project could bring more than 15,000 jobs to downtown Atlanta over a 30-year span.
But it inspires caution as well. Bruce Seaman, associate professor of economics at Georgia State University, said it is difficult to make projections over such a long period, especially since the master plan is only in the early stages.
"There are so many external shocks that can affect things, " Seaman said. "Of course it's going to be a challenge to go out 30 years."
Many of the details about the financing for the project, and the eventual design, have not yet been worked out. But much more cash will be required for completion of the project.
DETAIL BOX: The master development team for the multi-modal passenger terminal will hold its first public information meeting on Wednesday, March 14 at 6 p.m. at the Georgia Pacific Auditorium at 133 Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta.
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