Atlanta BeltLine Awarded Grand Prize for “Best Rehabilitation Project” in International Competition

Eastside Trail and Historic Fourth Ward Park Lauded for Sustainability and Humanity

Luxembourg – On May 21, 2014, the International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI) recognized the Atlanta BeltLine as the best environmental rehabilitation project in the world during their World Conference focused on Building Humanity. The prestigious Prix d ‘Excellence Award is the first international award for the Atlanta BeltLine. More than eight hundred people attended an awards banquet at Rockhal, Luxembourg’s largest music venue located on a converted brownfield site. The converted steelworks was the perfect location to recognize the Atlanta BeltLine as the best environmental rehabilitation project in the world. Other projects honored included the Pahoa Kindergarten in Tangerang, Indonesia for the best special purpose property and the Gödöllö Royal Palace in Hungary for historic preservation.

The Atlanta BeltLine was lauded for the completion and community embrace of the unique 17-acre Historic Fourth Ward Park transformed from a barren, contaminated site north of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthplace into a vision for sustainable development. Flood protection and stormwater overflow solutions are disguised as a park. In addition, the Eastside Trail transformed a 2.25 mile abandoned heavy freight rail corridor into a public recreation oasis. Atlanta’s first public skatepark alongside the Atlanta BeltLine corridor in the shadow of Freedom Parkway offers world-class skateboard amenities as well as a playground and multi-use athletic field. Since opening in spring 2011, it has become a hot gathering spot for skaters, athletes and families alike.

The Atlanta BeltLine qualified for the international Prix d ‘Excellence by entering the FIABCI-USA Grand Prix of Real Estate, an annual property awards recognition program that recognizes projects that best embody excellence in all real estate disciplines. The Prix illustrates concretely the FIABCI ideal of providing our cities, our nations and the world with the optimal solution to diverse property needs. Awarded by an international jury comprising top real estate professionals and experts, the program rewards overall merit and not just aesthetics, functionality or size. The Atlanta BeltLine perfectly embodied this year’s World Congress theme of real estate professionals leading the way in establishing a collaborative commons in every neighborhood where people can come together to renew their humanity and reclaim a connection to the environment.

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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. For more information on the Atlanta BeltLine, please visit www.BeltLine.org.

About the FIABCI-USA:

The International Real Estate Federation – US Chapter (FIABCI-USA) is a multi-discipline, networking organization for all professionals associated with real estate transactions. The group provides information, connections and concierge services to help individuals, companies and associations expand their global networks. With members in more than 50 countries and World, Regional and National Congresses throughout the year, FIABCI is global, local and connected and can provide access to the highest caliber real estate professional anywhere in the world. FIABCI also enjoys Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. For more information about FIABCI-USA, please visit www.fiabci-usa.com.