The Stitch
The construction of the Downtown Connector and other “urban renewal” projects meant that around 24,000 people were displaced, and the predominantly Black neighborhoods of Buttermilk Bottoms, Bedford-Pine, Butler Street, and Old Fourth Ward were separated from Downtown Atlanta. By 1967, the Buttermilk Bottoms and Butler Street communities no longer existed.
The Stitch aims to help mend this damage, restore the vibrancy of Downtown, and address Atlanta’s challenge of affordable housing by “capping” the Interstate with 14 acres of new park space and transportation improvements. These improvements will uplift the community while generating around 14 million square feet of new development — including 3,000–3,400 affordable housing units. The project intends to rebuild a Downtown community that’s diverse and affordable while connecting Atlantans to jobs, housing, transportation, parks, and resources.
In 2022, the CAP/ADID team made monumental strides in advancing The Stitch. Their accomplishments include:
- Securing $2.42M in federal funding to advance the planning and design of The Stitch.
- Hiring a full-time Stitch Development Manager, Jack Cebe, to lead the project.
- Building a team of consultants to help lead the planning and design of The Stitch.
- Securing $10M in engineering funding from the City of Atlanta and applying for a $10.5M US Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities Program grant. The results for this award are expected in 2023.
- Launching a new website dedicated to The Stitch project.
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When there’s a vision coming from the community about how to reconnect and create new usable land and greenspace, that’s something we want to accelerate. The Stitch is a great way to make use of the old right of way. And it takes into account all the things that matter for the future.
Pete Buttigieg,
United States Transportation Secretary