Advancing the Master Plan
What Kind of Place Do You Want Downtown to Be?
That’s the question that led to the creation of Downtown Atlanta’s Master Plan in 2017. Since then, incredible progress has been made toward achieving its goals. From housing and economic development to transportation and the arts, this comprehensive plan outlines how we can create a more resilient community filled with safe streets, healthy people, and better public spaces.
Residential Momentum Neighborhood by Neighborhood
Downtown Atlanta is experiencing a residential resurgence. Since 2010, Downtown’s population has grown by 34.6%. Today, about 32,800 people call Downtown home. 11,482 multi-family units and 5,050 ownership units currently exist, and more than 1,300 housing units are under construction. Since 2017, Downtown has added approximately 2,900 multi-family housing units. This number is expected to increase by 57% in the next five years as an estimated 6,000 housing units are added to the housing stock.
SoNo/North Downtown
Generation Atlanta, Revival Lofts, and 505 Courtland have opened, delivering a total of 671 residential units.
The Atlanta Civic Center Request for Proposals process by Atlanta Housing selected a redevelopment partner in 2022.
South Downtown
The Nelson Street pedestrian bridge was rebuilt, connecting South Downtown and Castleberry Hill.
Summerhill Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is advancing toward construction and design for Five Points rail station $200M transformation has begun.
Newport's Hotel Row development was completed, offering 40,000 sq ft of office space and 13,000 sq ft of retail.
City of Atlanta is advancing city-owned sites toward new residential construction: 143 Alabama, Central at Trinity, and 184 Forsyth SW.
Sweet Auburn
$2.5 Million in ETAD funding is committed to Sweet Auburn infrastructure. The investment will fund public safety and transportation improvements and support the development of an equity and sustainability strategy for the neighborhood.
H. J. Russell & Company and Place Properties opened Marchon Apartments at 240 Grant St. SE, delivering 305 housing units.
Preparing the Infrastructure Pipeline
Downtown is teed up to receive $37 million from partners for substantial transportation infrastructure investment over the next five years. This funding will be used to improve streets, bike lanes, and sidewalks in Downtown. That’s $36 for every $1 of ADID's investment.
Design for a cycle track on M.L. King Jr. Dr. between Piedmont Ave. and Forsyth St. is advancing quickly and will be installed alongside street resurfacing in mid-2023. A cycle track is an exclusive area for bicycles that combines the user experience of a physically separated path with the on-street infrastructure of a conventional bike lane.
Approved by voters in 2022, Moving Atlanta Forward (TSPLOST 2.0) funding is also available to advance the Peachtree Street shared street, a bike lane on Ralph McGill/Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd, and a bike lane on Pryor Street and Central Avenue.
In addition to Moving Atlanta Forward, ADID secured funding from the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB) to construct a bus-only lane on Courtland Street. The lane, which is scheduled to be completed by 2025, will be the first bus-only lane in the region.
ADID advanced a design to create a more multi-modal Forsyth Street before planned City of Atlanta resurfacing. The design is nearing completion, and an improved Forsyth Street is expected in 2023.
Alongside development and special events partners, CAP/ADID is developing a South Downtown Transportation Plan to create a prioritized, phased project list and associated funding approach for the rapidly growing neighborhood. The sub-area plan will build on the goals of the 2017 Downtown Atlanta Master Plan and will focus on building consensus and leveraging available funds in tandem with development changes and the upcoming World Cup.
CAP/ADID and Midtown Alliance completed the Curbside Management Action Plan, a strategy for organizing and improving the curb experience in Downtown and Midtown. The plan includes strategies to improve flexibility and operations through reformed policies and enhanced physical infrastructure while prioritizing safety, equity, and access.
Shifting Commutes
The City of Atlanta adopted legislation to lower the parking maximums for residential and office buildings. This year, CAP/ADID worked closely with partners to implement the legislation and assisted developers with compliance.
CAP/ADID developed a Flexible Parking Toolkit to provide strategies for employers, property managers and owners, and parking operators to adapt their parking and commute benefits programs to meet new and emerging demands related to hybrid work.
In partnership with the Atlanta Region Transit Link Authority (ATL) and Grady Hospital, CAP/ADID completed a Grady Parking and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan. The plan, which assessed current and future campus commuting challenges, provides recommendations for reducing parking demand, including launching a sustainable commute program called GoGrady.
In response to the return of major events and the uptick of office commutes, CAP/ADID launched a public transportation awareness campaign called “Way to Go!” The campaign, which ran during Summer 2022, encouraged people traveling Downtown to take MARTA.
Seeding Entrepreneur Success
The SPARK Innovation Lab, led by CAP/ADID partner Sweet Auburn Works, is wrapping their arms around the community’s retail businesses to provide resources that are needed to weather and leverage new growth in the neighborhood. The Innovation Lab is in the Odd Fellows Atrium building at Auburn Avenue and Jesse Hill Jr. Drive and will host workshops, events, and pop-ups to drive foot traffic and create a neighborhood destination.
The City of Atlanta’s newly revamped “Public Kiosk Program” provides affordable small footprint commercial space within green brick-and-mortar kiosks located along Downtown Atlanta’s sidewalks. The program improvements were an outcome of a year-long taskforce that CAP participated in, which sought to improve the existing kiosk program to better support Atlanta’s emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses.
This year, the Program welcomed three new tenants to the kiosks including:
- Oatstraw Tea Company (Woodruff Park)
- Sweet Heads Dessert Boutique (Woodruff Park)
- Noble Honey Company (GSU Student Center & Woodruff Park)
Opening a “tea-osk” in the heart of Downtown Atlanta has been quite the experience! Being part of a large community with people of all different backgrounds has expanded our brand in a multitude of ways. We look forward to seeing how the business continues to grow over the next year!”
Sydney Kincherlow, Oatstraw Tea Company
"
Authentically Downtown
The implementation of the Downtown Urban Tree Planting Plan continued once again with the support of Delta Air Lines employees. As a “seed” partner of the effort, Delta employees planted 50 trees in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood. CAP/ADID, Trees Atlanta, and the City of Atlanta also celebrated the coordinated effort with a ceremonial Georgia Arbor Day Tree Planting.
The original 2008 wayfinding map kiosk signs in Centennial Park District (CPD) were refreshed with new, district-specific content. Additionally, CPD has designed and is pursuing permits to install a welcoming district-branded gateway mural on Spring Street.
Narrative and graphic tour content was developed to support the Peachtree Center Historic District designation. Downtown History Tours were offered as part of Woodruff Park programming. In addition to the annual Phoenix Flies event, the Atlanta Preservation Center has renewed walking tours of Downtown including the 'Historic Core', Sweet Auburn, and individual buildings and sites.