The Atlanta Beltline Inc. is 51% complete, but one critical portion of the Northeast Trail that will link Buckhead to Piedmont Park and beyond has been delayed for months as negotiations with three railroad lines continue.
The Beltline, a 22-mile loop of trails around the city that were once railroad tracks, has attracted residents and the development of homes, shops, offices, restaurants and bars, with 11.3 miles finished, a spokesperson said. It’s in negotiations with three organizations about a very complex crossing that will eventually connect the Midtown and Buckhead sections of the trail.
It will connect to the Armour-Ottley commercial district, the Path400 trail and access points from public streets. The segment will involve crossings of existing MARTA heavy rail, Norfolk Southern Railway freight rail, CSX freight rail, Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) freeway and Peachtree Creek.
Acquiring access
The Beltline is in the right-of-way acquisition phase, with negotiations ongoing. According to their website, they “expect to have all land deals closed this calendar year (2024)” for this section of the trail. When pressed for an update on the status, The Beltline sent a statement:
“At this stage, we are focused on coordination and negotiation as part of the real estate process,” a Beltline spokesperson said. “As we continue to build out the trail ahead of 2030, real estate activity is ongoing, and we are unable to discuss negotiations. We will provide relevant information as it becomes available.”
Of the negotiations, a Norfolk Southern spokesperson said, “While I cannot disclose details related to discussions on specific property, I can tell you that, from property transactions to financial support, Norfolk Southern is proud to partner with the Beltline to support their work transforming underused spaces into vibrant public areas, boosting property values, fostering small business growth and improving quality of life in Atlanta.”
Regarding the negotiations, a CSX spokeswoman said it’s “supportive of the connectivity needed” for the trail. “We are currently reviewing plans to convey aerial rights for the proposed pedestrian bridges over CSX tracks,” she added.
Of the negotiations, a MARTA spokesperson said, “The bridging over tracks you specifically refer to does not involve MARTA rail lines; however, we have negotiated and are in the process of closing on other needs with [the Beltline] in the vicinity.”
MARTA expansion?
One of those needs is an unknown infill station. It’s part of More MARTA, a partnership between the transit authority and the city of Atlanta “that is designing and building transit projects to address the current and future transportation needs of Atlantans by increasing accessibility, mobility and connectivity.”
“We continue to work with the mayor’s office on projects within that program,” the MARTA spokesperson said.
Five proposed infill stations, including one in Buckhead at Armour Drive between the Arts Center and Lindbergh stations, were part of the More MARTA Atlanta Program that was approved by voters in 2016. However, a joint prioritization working group, established in 2017 to help prioritize the more than 70 projects included in the More MARTA Atlanta Program estimated the cost for building the five infill stations to be about $400 million to $500 million, and the projects were ultimately not included in the final list of 17 projects.
Emails to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ office and GDOT seeking comment on the Beltline negotiations were not returned by deadline.
Other Beltline updates
Recently, the Beltline announced project updates in other trails.
The Beltline and Dickens hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 31 to start construction of Segment 1 of the Beltline’s Northwest Trail in Buckhead. The trail section begins at Peachtree Park Drive at the entrance of Peachtree Park apartments. It then winds 0.8 miles slightly northwest and ends at the Kinsey Court cul-de-sac.
A week later, as construction commenced to the east on Segment 1 of the Northwest Trail, the Beltline announced it completed a necessary land purchase to complete Segment 2 of the path near Piedmont Atlanta Hospital and the Shepherd Center.
The Beltline purchased three parcels, totaling about one acre, at 2110 Peachtree Road, the site of the former Elleven45 Lounge. The nightclub was declared a public nuisance by a Fulton County Superior Court judge in August and was shut down following a shooting in May.
