A first-of-its kind study to recommend actionable ways to integrate historic and cultural preservation along the Atlanta Beltline is slated to begin early in the new year.
Atlanta Beltline Inc. (ABI), the quasi-governmental agency overseeing the project to convert 22 miles of historic railroad encircling the city’s core into a multi-use trail combined with spur trails, parks and planned transit, says it plans to open bids the week of Jan. 6 to find a firm to conduct the study. The entire process is expected to take nine months.
Most of the Beltline’s 22 miles main multi-use trail is already finished or under construction and expected to be completed before the city hosts the 2026 World Cup. The entire multi-use trail is to be completed by 2030. Why is ABI deciding now to conduct a study that focuses on historic and cultural preservation along the Beltline?
“Although a significant amount of work has been done to date to document historic and cultural resources, some of which were state and federal grant requirements, a comprehensive summary and actionable guidance does not currently exist,” said ABI spokesperson Keona Swindler in a written statement to Rough Draft.
The new study will focus on ABI-owned or controlled assets along the corridor including bridges, underpasses, culverts, tunnels, 8.3 miles of connector trails, and other redevelopment sites, Swindler said. The study will also provide recommendations for guidelines, resources and “tools to support historic and cultural preservation activities.”
“ABI aims to collect and summarize historical and cultural research conducted to date. The study will recommend guidelines to integrate historic and cultural preservation into the design and community engagement processes as we work toward completing the 22 miles of trails, parks, and planned transit,” she said.
Some of the studies and projects that have documented historic and cultural resources along the Atlanta Beltline include Beltline Subarea Master Plans, National Environmental Policy Act and Georgia Environmental Policy Act documentation from previous trail and transit planning efforts, and other federally funded or permitted projects in or near the Beltline corridor, Swindle said.
In 2006, students in Georgia State University’s Preservation Planning Class collaborated with the Atlanta Urban Design commission to publish, “Beltline: A History of the Atlanta Beltline and its Associated Historic Resources.” The project highlighted history of proposed redevelopment nodes along the Beltline and their links to Atlanta’s history.
The 2025 study is planned to identify historic structures and places included in the previous studies as well identify new historic structures and sites.
“This effort will enable ABI to identify pathways to uplift historic and cultural preservation across ABI owned or controlled assets aligning with the organization’s programmatic goals and vision of making Atlanta a global beacon for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable city life,” Swindler said.
Atlanta was founded by the railroad. The city was first named Terminus because it was the end of the line of Western and Atlantic Railroad in 1837. Other rail lines soon extended to Atlanta and the city established itself as a regional hub. After the Civil War, short-line railroads — called belt lines — were built around the city center. These belt lines are what the Atlanta Beltline is named for.
The Ormewood Avenue Bridge, a concrete railroad bridge on the Southside Trail of the Beltline received, city landmark designation in 2021. It is first such structure to receive the designation. ABI is now constructing a new trail bridge adjacent to the historic Ormewood Avenue Bridge.
David Y. Mitchell, executive director of the Atlanta Preservation Center, is working with ABI on the new project to preserve historic and cultural structures and sites on the Beltline. Time is of the essence to ensure history like the Ormewood Avenue Bridge are preserved as the Beltline approaches its completion date, he said.
“We should be advocating and encouraging thoughtful preservation of 22 miles of trails, parks and corridors including bridges, underpasses, culverts, tunnels and more,” he said.
Georgia has 12 heritage railroads and understanding how to interpret and include this history in and on the Beltline would not only enhance the project, but ensure that those that come to Atlanta appreciate and experience the city, he said.
“Since the inception of the Beltline, the role of history and preservation continues and has continued to be diminished or removed,” he said. “It’s become more and more of a zoning accomplishment, far more than a way of really, quote unquote, connecting and embracing and bringing people together. It is rezoned for commercial development.”
Historic preservation is accepted as a key component for a thriving livable community that can support varied and rich experiences, Mitchell said.
“Understanding how to retain historic character and cultural diversity should be embraced as a universal goal.”