Mar 13, 2024 - News

Feds award $157 million to The Stitch project

Kristal Dixon

Artist rendering of what the first phase of The Stitch would look like once completed. — An artist rendering of what Phase 0ne of The Stitch may look like. Photo: Atlanta Downtown Improvement District

Atlanta's dream of building a deck park to reconnect neighborhoods sliced apart by the Downtown Connector looks closer after receiving $157.6 million in federal funding.

Why it matters: The ambitious project, called The Stitch, seeks to repair damage done to predominantly Black neighborhoods when the interstate system was routed through them in the 1940s and '50s.

The Stitch calls for installing 14 acres of a green-space-topped platform above the Connector between the Civic Center MARTA Center at West Peachtree Street and Piedmont Avenue.

The project's first phase is estimated to cost $199 million and will include new park space, downtown street improvements, and upgraded connectivity to the MARTA station.

What they're saying: "The Stitch has been a dream of the Downtown Atlanta community for 20 years," Stitch Development Manager Jack Cebe said in a statement, adding that the federal investment allows the city "to make this dream a reality."

The funding, which comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods grant program, was announced Tuesday by the offices of Rep. Nikema Williams and Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.

Meanwhile: Another $50 million was awarded to connect the Atlanta Beltline to the Flint River Trail, linking the city with communities around Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

What we're watching: Construction on the first phase of The Stitch is expected to start in 2026 and wrap up in 2029.

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Feds award $157 million to The Stitch project

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