Council for Quality Growth member, Buckhead CID unveiled initial designs for a proposed world-class open space in the heart of one of our region’s most vibrant business districts, over one of the most traveled corridors, GA-400.
The design for the nearly half-mile Park Over GA-400 will provide long-desired activated greenspace with direct access to MARTA connnecting the district’s commercial and cultural opportunities. The park will stretch from MARTA’s Buckhead Station between the Atlanta Financial Center and Lenox Road/Buckhead Loop totaling over 9 acres of open, civic space. The initial design creates three distinct zones of programming: The Commons, the Plaza and the Gardens. Each zone is tailored to accommodate a range of activities and events. A defining feature of the design includes an allée of high-canopied trees running the length of the park that blends with Atlanta’s urban forest canopy and creates broad shade and memorable open space from Lenox Road to Peachtree Street.
“We believe Buckhead residents, employees and visitors will truly benefit from the addition of a world class open space,” said Jim Durrett, BCID Executive Director and Council for Quality Growth Board Member. Durrett and his team at the CID will spend the next few weeks gathering feedback from CID and community stakeholders before presenting to the CID Board on October 5th for a vote to proceed with the next phase of the design process. This next phase will include further community engagement, preliminary engineering and engagement of key partner agencies and stakeholders to determine public and private funding strategies.
Buckhead CID has a strong history of implementing innovative design and planning solutions to improve the quality of life and urban vitality in the Buckhead business district. This commitment to enhancing the livability of Buckhead can be seen in projects like the impressive PATH400 providing a 5.2 mile greenway that will eventually link the proposed park over GA-400 to the Atlanta BeltLine and the pedestrian bridge over GA-400 linking the Buckhead MARTA station to both sides of Peachtree Road, Tower Place Drive and Stratford Road. Residents, businesses, and those just passing through benefit from improvements like these initiated and implemented by CIDs from an easier daily commute or having the option to safely bike or walk, to having community civic spaces to hold events or attract visitors and workforce, to the innumerable economic opportunities and job growth spurred from CID investment.
The Council for Quality Growth is excited about the innovative solutions to urban greenspace coming out of Buckhead CID and looks forward to the outcomes of the next phase of this project. The Council will be celebrating work like this from our CIDs across the Metro Atlanta region at our Annual CID recognition reception this fall. Join us on November 16th at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens for this unique opportunity to network with CID leaders, elected officials and business community stakeholders from our region’s 22 CIDs.