Atlanta's moving ahead with The Stitch project. Here's a look.
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An aerial rendering of the first phase of The Stitch project. Image: Courtesy of Central Atlanta Progress
Despite losing federal funding for The Stitch, Atlanta officials are pushing ahead with the ambitious project to cap part of the Downtown Connector with a 5.6-acre park.
Why it matters: Once completely built, The Stitch will reconnect majority-Black neighborhoods severed in the 1940s and '50s by the interstate highway system and spur redevelopment on Downtown's northern edge.
Driving the news: Central Atlanta Progress released the renderings Wednesday as part of its day-long celebration of the heart of the city.
What they're saying: The Stitch could "ignite an estimated $5 billion in private sector investment and $9 billion in economic impact," project director Jack Cebe told a crowd Wednesday at Mayor's Park.
- He also said the project will be the catalyst of the creation of 25,000 multifamily residential units and 4,500 jobs and "support other major developments by attracting permanent residents to Downtown."
Catch up quick: Last year, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods grant program awarded $157.6 million towards the project's first phase.
Yes, but: President Trump's tax and spending legislation, which he signed into law in July, slashed $151 million in grant funding from the first phase of the project.
- Atlanta earlier this year created a Downtown special district where property owners within those boundaries pay extra taxes to fund long-term Stitch upkeep, Cebe told Axios.
- The first phase is expected to cost around $200 million, and the city currently has $50 million in the bank.
- "It's just a matter of working with our partners to figure it out," he told Axios. "Everybody wants it to happen. The mayor is dedicated to it."
- Cebe said they are starting a new organization to lead the project, which will be named Atlanta Downtown Stitch Inc. according to the AJC.
Zoom in: The first phase will be built over the existing bridges, stretching from Peachtree to Courtland streets and Ralph McGill Boulevard to St. Luke's Episcopal Church.
- The park will include a Downtown Green, Piedmont Playground, Festival Plaza and Perennial Gardens.
The big picture: LaChandra Burks, chief operating officer for the city, said The Stitch represents "what Atlanta does best, and it's the kind of group project that Mayor [Andre] Dickens is always talking about."
- "The Stitch is a once-in-a-generation infrastructure project, a park and gathering place that will reshape the heart of downtown Atlanta," she said.
What's next: If the rest of the funding is secured, the project is expected to break ground in 2026 — most likely after the World Cup, Cebe told Axios.