Over 130 guests attended the Atlanta BeltLine’s third Quarterly Briefing of 2015, which was held on Monday, August 17 at Park Tavern. The Atlanta BeltLine strives to ensure that the public is regularly informed on any updates regarding the program’s progress, and Quarterly Briefings are designed for just that!
The meeting kicked-off with a musical performance by The Jugtime Ragband, a performing artist for this year’s Art on the Atlanta BeltLine exhibition. Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) President and CEO Paul Morris followed the presentation with ABI updates.
Morris covered details for the Westside Trail construction and the Eastside Trail extension, which recently put out a request for proposals due by October 13. Updates for the Design Review Committee included the City Council’s confirmation off the eight member board that will assist with design consultation.
As the Atlanta BeltLine continues to transform the city through development, the program is honored with numerous grants and awards that exemplify the work as well as aid in its construction. Updates for those included the Atlanta Urban Design Commission’s “Award of Excellence” for Art on the Atlanta BeltLine and the National Recreation and Park Association’s “National Partnership” award for the Atlanta BeltLine’s collaboration with the City of Atlanta Parks and Recreation. The program also received two separate $50,000 donations for both Murphy Crossing and the Art Master Plan.
The Atlanta Streetcar Program gave updates for the plan’s Environmental Assessments, specifically for the West Transit corridor and the North Avenue/Luckie Streetcar Corridor. Along with the assessments, transit experts also informed the crowd of the plan’s current evaluation phase to define alignments and impacts, which will allow for clearance and funds for construction.
Rob Brawner, Deputy Executive Director for the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership (ABLP), gave special thanks to donors who contributed to the completion of the organization’s $12.5 million capital campaign, which has raised $53 million to date. ABLP also shared ways to support the Atlanta BeltLine through the numerous volunteer opportunities or by becoming an Atlanta BeltLine member.
ABLP will also be partnering to produce the Old Fourth Ward Fall Festival where proceeds will benefit ABLP. The event will be held on September 11 and 12, 2015. ABLP updated attendees on ways to stay active along the Atlanta BeltLine, including the upcoming Southeast 8k and the Eastside 10k.
The presentations concluded with a feature presentation from Art on the Atlanta BeltLine, which will launch with this year’s Lantern Parade on September 12th. The night ended with a question and answer segment, allowing Atlanta BeltLine experts to address any community concerns.
No worries if you missed this Quarterly Briefing, the full presentation can be viewed here. Be on the lookout for the fourth Quarterly Briefing, which will be held on November 19, 2015. Hope to see you there!
