Atlanta City Council Approves Downtown Atlanta Master Plan
December 5,2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Council Communications
Atlanta City Hall
55 Trinity Ave. S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30303
CONTACT:
Talia Moffitt
Public Information Officer – Council Communications
(404) 546-1835 / (404) 409-5137
tkmoffitt@atlantaga.gov
December 4, 2017
Atlanta City Council Approves Downtown Atlanta Master Plan
ATLANTA – The Atlanta City Council on Monday approved a 15-year blueprint for the growth and redevelopment of downtown Atlanta.
The legislation, co-sponsored by District 2 Councilmember Kwanza Hall and District 5 Councilmember Natalyn Archibong, impacts the area surrounded by Northside Drive, North Avenue, Boulevard and Interstate 20. (Legislative Reference No. 17-O-1673)
"Over the past decade Downtown has flourished during business hours, adding thousands of new workers, Georgia State Students, concerts and festivals,” said City Councilmember Kwanza Hall. “The Downtown Atlanta Master Plan, which Monday formally became part of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, brings together a multitude of perspectives and expertise to lay the foundation for priorities over the next fifteen years, and will serve as a guidance for policy decisions and infrastructure improvements in the area."
The Downtown Atlanta Master Plan seeks to keep downtown Atlanta a bustling business district while adding 10,000 new residents and strengthening downtown’s role as a thriving, full-service and equitable neighborhood designed with people in mind.
“It was very important to the community to cultivate Downtown as a collection of neighborhoods that offer the best access to jobs, culture and greenspace,” Councilmember Archibong said. “I’m excited about the priority to diversify by adding thousands of people of all incomes living Downtown, and reinforce the area as an economic center while keeping community at the core.”
Over the past year, residents, property owners, business owners and additional stakeholders worked with Central Atlanta Progress and the Bureau of Planning Staff to develop the plan, which makes recommendations for new housing, commercial growth, as well as transportation and parks and open space infrastructure improvements.
“The updated Downtown Atlanta Master Plan is a critical step toward making the core of the city and the region a real city based on walkable, connected urban neighborhoods,” said Walter Brown, president of Bright Sun Community Solutions. “As we all know, the history of Atlanta has featured the erosion of the historic buildings and street fabric of the city in favor of far flung places dominated by cars and parking lots. I am confident we are all now committed to creating a place that can compete with the best city centers in the country.”
There has been more than $4 billion in public and private investment in the past 10 years in downtown Atlanta and another $3.8 billion recently completed, currently under construction, or planned for completion before 2020. Significant new resources exist for investments in infrastructure, including the Renew Atlanta Infrastructure Bond, revenue that will be raised by the MARTA Referendum, and T-SPLOST dollars, portions of which will be put to work in strategic transportation upgrades downtown.
Recent projects include development of the railroad gulch, the renovation of Philips Arena, the sale of Underground Atlanta and the sale and redevelopment of the Atlanta Civic Center.
“Central Atlanta Progress is grateful to the thousands of individuals who engaged in the Downtown Master Plan process over the past 12 months. This plan is a true reflection of the community’s aspirations and desires for Downtown Atlanta,” said A.J. Robinson, President of Central Atlanta Progress. “We look forward to the continued collective spirit and commitment that will help to make the plan’s vision a reality as Downtown becomes a thriving full-service neighborhood—a place for everyone and where everyone wants to be.”
Additional information on the Downtown Atlanta Master Plan can be found at www.PlanDowntownATL.com.
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