Mayor Reed to Lead Eastside Trail Gateway Grand Opening

The Gateway Trail connecting the Eastside Trail and Historic Fourth Ward Park opens August 22

ATLANTA –The Eastside Trail Gateway, an ADA-accessible path connecting Historic Fourth Ward Park to the Eastside Trail, officially opens at 11 a.m. on August 22 in a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Mayor Kasim Reed. The Gateway begins across from the Angier Springs Road access point of the Eastside Trail and winds down the hill toward the park, connecting at Dallas Street and North Angier Avenue. The ceremony will take place at this intersection on the grassy lawn of Historic Fourth Ward Park.

In the spirit of the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership’s emphasis on health, a fitness walk will take place immediately following the ribbon-cutting. B98.5 on-air personality Madison James will lead the walk from the foot of the Gateway toward Piedmont Park. This walk is free and open to all.

“The Gateway will be a huge benefit to the surrounding area,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. “The success of the Eastside Trail and Historic Fourth Ward Park demonstrate Atlanta’s desire for walkability and greenspace, and connecting these two projects will expand the impact they have already had on transforming our City’s landscape and mobility.”

The Eastside Trail Gateway is made possible by generous contributions from donors to the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership, including: a friend of the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership; the R. Howard Dobbs, Jr. Foundation; the John N. Goddard Foundation; and the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation. The Trust for Public Land secured the 0.76 acre property to preserve it for public use. The Atlanta BeltLine Partnership successfully raised private funds through its Capital Campaign for the land acquisition, design and construction of this project.

“We are grateful to our donors for making this project possible,” said Rob Brawner, Interim Executive Director of the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership. “The Eastside Trail Gateway is the latest demonstration of how public-private partnerships are instrumental in moving the Atlanta BeltLine forward.”

“We are excited to deliver this project under budget and ahead of schedule,” said Paul Morris, President and CEO of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. “Connecting these two enormously popular projects was a priority for users of the Atlanta BeltLine and a priority for us. This access path is one more step toward bringing connectivity to the entire City.”

The design of the Gateway includes landscaping, retaining walls, lighting, and green stormwater management infrastructure. Tree plantings surrounding the Gateway will eventually grow into a dense shade canopy. Other plantings include shrubs, ornamental grasses, and native warm-season grass plugs. Compliant with the City’s stormwater ordinance, the site will retain the first inch of rainfall for infiltration. The LED fixtures use a fraction of the energy of traditional lighting, reducing energy costs for the trail.

The Eastside Trail Gateway’s opening comes in time for the 2014 Art on the Atlanta BeltLine exhibition that begins with the Lantern Parade on September 6. Trail users that visit the Eastside Trail to view visual art will now be able to directly connect to Historic Fourth Ward Park for art performances on September 20 and October 19.

###

About the Atlanta BeltLine

The Atlanta BeltLine is the most comprehensive transportation and economic development effort ever undertaken in the City of Atlanta and among the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment programs currently underway in the United States. The Atlanta BeltLine is a sustainable redevelopment project that will provide a network of public parks, multi-use trails and transit along a historic 22-mile railroad corridor circling downtown and connecting many neighborhoods directly to each other. Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) is the entity tasked with planning and executing the implementation of the Atlanta BeltLine in partnership with other public and private organizations, including City of Atlanta departments. The Atlanta BeltLine Partnership (ABLP) is a non-profit organization committed to raising funds from private and philanthropic sources to support the Atlanta BeltLine, working with the community and partners to raise general awareness and support, and serving as a catalyst to mobilize resources to address social concerns. For more information on the Atlanta BeltLine, please visit www.BeltLine.org.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *