MARTA will move forward with its plan to renovate the Five Points Station after reaching a compromise with the City of Atlanta over pedestrian and bus access.
Work to transform the transit system’s busiest station was slated to begin in July, but MARTA paused the project after Mayor Andre Dickens, city officials, and riders opposed plans to close the station and reroute buses.
Dickens also questioned the cost of the project following a city audit and expressed concerns over the station being closed during the World Cup 2026 matches set for nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Now, MARTA says one station entrance will remain open during construction, allowing for street-level and elevator access, as well as bus pick-up and drop-off.
“I’m proud to announce that MARTA and Mayor Dickens have agreed to move forward with the Five Points Transformation Project as originally planned,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood in a statement. “This agreement will include a slight modification to allow for ongoing pedestrian access to Five Points on the Forsyth Street side of the station during the majority of construction. As plans are finalized, we will share more specific information about construction timelines, station access and customer accommodations. This is a win-win for MARTA, the City of Atlanta, and our customers as we move forward together to improve transit across our region.”
MARTA said allowing street-level access will mean an extended construction schedule and early nightly closures, because construction materials cannot be moved by crane over an active station entrance. An exact timeline has not been released by MARTA.
The renovation will include removal of the leaky concrete canopy over the station plaza and replacing it with a translucent roof, new street-level bus bays and a reimagined outdoor plaza with greenspace.
The project was originally estimated to cost $230 million, but fines from contractors have pushed the budget significantly higher since the project was paused on July 3.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, federal and state money will cover a combined $38.8 million of the project, while the rest will be paid for with money from the half-penny transit sales tax approved by Atlanta voters in 2016.
The MARTA board of directors voted at its Sept. 12 meeting to move forward with a review of the city’s audit released last month that claims the transit agency could owe the city up to $70 million.
The board approved the review as recommended by State Rep. Deborah Silcox (R-Sandy Springs), chairperson of the General Assembly committee that supervises MARTA’s budget.
