Board members of the Buckhead Community Improvement District got their first glimpse of what a park built over Ga. 400 might look like.
But it will be another two weeks before they learn whether the project can get off the ground.
Two firms have been hired to develop feasibility studies on the project. They are Jacobs Engineering Group of Pasadena, Calif., and Atlanta-based GreenRock Partners. Acknowledging that the project is nowhere near the design process, representatives from both firms provided a general outline of what they envision for the park.
“I refer to it as ‘the art of the possible,’” said Monte Wilson of Jacobs Engineering. “What could happen here programmatically?”
Following the presentation, CID Chairman David Allman recommended the engineers move forward with the feasibility study to determine its scope and a ballpark figure on its cost. That information should be gathered within a couple of weeks, Wilson said.
The initial outline presented to the CID board on May 26 calls for the park to cross Peachtree and include the entrance to the Atlanta Financial Center. The idea, Wilson said, would be to make Peachtree part of the park, instead of bordering it.
“You’re looking at about 10 acres … a significant piece of property,” Wilson said.
Next to the gateway would be an active urban plaza, with a re-envisioned MARTA portal to the train platform, public art and possibly a children’s play area. There would also be opportunities for shops so commuters could get off the train and grab a sandwich or a cup of coffee.
The central portion of the park could be composed of a series of garden rooms, creating a sense of variety, Wilson said. Beyond the garden rooms, an expansive lawn area could be dedicated to walking, throwing the Frisbee or just relaxing. The area could be bordered with food trucks and a small performance pavilion.
The northern end of the park would also lend itself to some sort of beacon, a sculpture or other piece of art that announces the park to southbound traffic on Ga. 400, Wilson said.
Using other urban parks as benchmarks, Wilson estimated the cost per acre for the park would be around $20 million, making the total cost in the neighborhood of $200 million.
Read more about the park project at Reporter Newspapers.
