Nothing on the scale of the Atlanta Beltline has ever been attempted or accomplished in the Atlanta region. It is wildly ambitious. New transit, parks, trails, housing, economic development, public art, brownfield remediation, sidewalks and streetscapes — these are the core components of the Beltline, and together they are transforming our city and catalyzing a renewed region. The more progress we make, the faster people want it.
This voracious appetite for more progress is understandable, considering the results to date: The first seven years of the program generated a roughly 3-to-1 return on investment, with more than $1 billion in private redevelopment spurred by roughly $350 million of investment from public and private sources, much of it during the Great Recession.
The Beltline has added seven miles of paved multi-use trails and 200 acres of new and renewed parks and greenspaces; remediated more than 70 acres of brownfields; committed funding to 259 units of affordable housing, and advanced critical planning, environmental review and real estate acquisition for transit. For the past four years, the project has produced the largest temporary public art exhibit in the city’s history — Art on the Atlanta Beltline — including the 2013 Lantern Parade with an unprecedented more than 10,000 participants.
These impressive returns continue to attract public and private investment. Most recently, the city received an $18 million TIGER V grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the development of a 2.5-mile portion of the Atlanta Beltline Westside Trail in southwest Atlanta.
At the end of 2013, the Beltline released a Strategic Implementation Plan that details how the entire program will be implemented by 2030. This is a significant milestone for Atlanta’s signature urban redevelopment and transportation effort. Community input from a year-long planning effort helped inform our next priorities, and we are excited about the new projects that are moving forward.
Two overriding principles guide our plan. First, we will work on all program components simultaneously. Second, we will work across all parts of the Beltline at all times to make sure every community is realizing tangible benefits of the program in an equitable manner.
During the next five years, the highest priority is to acquire all the real estate needed to close the 22-mile transit and trail loop. Presently, we have control of 56 percent of the 22-mile transit corridor and 72 percent of the 33-mile trail corridor.
Planned construction activities over the next five years will include completing the southern half of the Westside Trail from Washington Park to Adair Park, and commencing construction on the Southeast Trail from Glenwood Park to Adair Park. Park construction plans include the completion of Boulevard Crossing Phase II, Enota and Murphy Crossing parks. Within five years, we plan to begin construction on the first segments of modern streetcar/light rail transit on the east and west sides of the BeltLine as part of a network with extensions of the downtown Atlanta Streetcar that will open later this year.
In addition, we will take a more proactive approach to affordable housing and economic development to bring more jobs and improve the quality of life. Public art, which has been critical to our success to date, will remain a focus.
This is an ambitious, achievable set of goals.
Underpinning our ability to implement them is public support, based on a foundation of upwards of 50,000 passionate advocates who follow the Beltline’s progress via social media and e-news, volunteer their time and invest their resources, and inform critical decision-making via a robust public engagement process.
They, in turn, energize public and philanthropic funders inspired by the desire of Atlantans to transform their city. As stewards of the public’s vision and investment, we invite their continued input and participation.
Paul F. Morris is president and CEO of Atlanta Beltline Inc.
About the Author
