The Atlanta City Council voted on three ordinances to fund, define, and implement the I-75/85 capping project, “The Stitch,” at its April 21 meeting.
The expansive project will cover the Downtown Connector between Ted Turner Drive and Piedmont Avenue, stitching neighborhoods currently divided by the I-75/85 corridor together with a series of interconnected parks, plazas, walking trails, and streets.
The project’s goals include prioritizing equity and accessibility, prioritizing alternative transportation, creating job opportunities, and advancing community services like health care, childcare, food access, and more.
The council passed an ordinance formally creating The Stitch Special Services District and defining its geographic boundaries, another establishing an ad valorem tax levy on properties located within the district to help fund the project.
Another ordinance approved by the council authorizes the City, Atlanta Development Authority, Atlanta Urban Redevelopment Agency, and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District to implement the project. The ordinances go into effect immediately.
According to Fox 5 Atlanta, the project has already secured around $200 million in funding – including $157.6 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, $10 million from the Eastside Tax Allocation District, $10 million from the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, and $9.7 million from the City’s Moving Atlanta Forward bond funds – but completion is expected to cost between $550 million and $800 million.
Phase 1 of the project is expected to begin next year, with completion of the full project done by 2030.
To learn more about The Stitch and the proposed master plan, visit thestitchatl.com/project/master-plan.