Bike lanes, pickleball courts and more trees planned for Piedmont Park
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A rendering showing planned improvements to Piedmont Park's "active oval." Photo: Courtesy of Piedmont Park Conservancy
The look and feel of Piedmont Park will evolve significantly over the next decade as the nonprofit that manages one of Atlanta's most popular green spaces plans to add paths, trees, courts and play areas.
Why it matters: While the park looks good in its current state, "it could look great," Piedmont Park Conservancy president and CEO Doug Widener told Axios in a phone interview.
- "Someone said you could do whatever you wanted to but get the basics right first," he said.
Driving the news: That was the running theme of the feedback the conservancy heard throughout the process of updating its 10-year comprehensive plan, which was released Thursday during its 28th Annual Landmark Luncheon, the organization's largest fundraising event.
- This year marks the first time the park's comprehensive plan was updated in 25 years.
What they're saying: "It feels it's great to see all the great ideas and feedback we've gotten now translate into real ideas that we'll be able to implement over the next months and years," Widener told Axios, adding the park gets over 6 million visitors each year.
- "We're excited to release it, and we're even more excited to get started on making it real."
Zoom in: The updated comprehensive plan calls for installing more than 6 miles of paths for pedestrians, designated trails and sidewalks for walkers and runners, access routes for service vehicles and dedicated lanes for scooter riders and bicyclists.
- Renovations are also planned in what the conservancy calls the park's "active oval," including new basketball and pickleball courts, three new courts in the sand volleyball area, new soccer and ballfields and play and picnic areas at Noguchi Playscape and Mayor's Grove.
- Lake Clara Meer will be dredged to improve its appearance and water quality.
Expansion: The conservancy also plans to expand northeast to the intersection of Piedmont Avenue and Monroe Drive, the area it calls the Commons.
- Projects include creating an entry plaza with concessions and restroom buildings, passive recreation areas, lawns to host picnics, two new playgrounds and a rock scramble.
More trees, please: Boosting Piedmont Park's tree canopy is also part of the plan. The conservancy on Thursday rolled out its Seeds for the Future initiative, which will survey the health of the park's 3,000 trees and the eventual planting of hundreds more.
The fine print: Other plans include improving entrances, restrooms, water fountains and building what it calls the Clear Creek Walk, which will provide an alternate path through the park tree canopy that steers clear of crowds using the Beltline.
Councilmember Alex Wan, whose district includes the park, told Axios he's excited about the conservancy's "ambitious" plan.
- "I think there's something in it for everybody, no matter how you use the park," he said. " If you like coming for concerts or festivals or if you just like coming and strolling through ... there's a piece of the new plan for you."
What's next: The project's first phase, which Widener said could cost between $50 million and $75 million to implement, includes assessing the health of the park's trees, will begin this year.
- The conservancy will then move on to expanding to the Piedmont-Monroe intersection and the projects it has planned there.
- Of course, these plans — and the timeline — all depend on funding, most of which comes through donations.