$400M project would put park, buildings over Downtown Connector (Atlanta: real estate, 2015)

[LynnHarris1]

A new plan could transform the heart of Atlanta.

Instead of the Downtown Connector splitting Atlanta in half, imagine a park and buildings that stretch across the highway for blocks.

It is a huge 10-acre project and it is going to be revealed to the public soon..."

FULL STORY: https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atl...ctor/916600900

SOURCE: WSBTV.com

[CCATL]

Wish they could do this to most of the connector and I-20. I had no idea it would take 1-2 decades for such a small section though! Either way, this would be exciting, and would really transform that deadzone between midtown and downtown.

[atlHawks]

the 10- to 15-acre project would take about one and a half to two decades to complete.

Ugh. Why so long?

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by atlHawks

Ugh. Why so long?

Well, this isn't exactly being placed in the middle of nowhere. The Downtown Connector is one of the busiest stretches of road in the world. It would also be built in one of the oldest parts of the city, so who knows what surprises the team runs in to.

Besides, 15 years isn't really that long in the grand scheme of things and is in line with the scope of other projects similar to this. The Big Dig project in Boston started in 1982 and was finished in 2002 for example.

[citidata18]

Originally Posted by atlHawks

Ugh. Why so long?

Money.

[LTCM]

//www.city-data.com/forum/atlan...s-forward.html

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by LynnHarris1

A new plan could transform the heart of Atlanta.

Instead of the Downtown Connector splitting Atlanta in half, imagine a park and buildings that stretch across the highway for blocks.

It is a huge 10-acre project and it is going to be revealed to the public soon..."

FULL STORY: https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atl...ctor/916600900

SOURCE: WSBTV.com

This is new? Is this not the same "stitch" we've been talking about for years?

Originally Posted by CCATL

Wish they could do this to most of the connector and I-20.

Simply not feasible. Much of the connector is at or above grade, and I don't know what parts of 20 you're talking about, but it is almost all above grade.

[bellhead]

Would transform downtown.... Imagine condo prices on the park will go up.

[arjay57]

Should we wait until we see how this Suntrust thing shakes out?

According to the article, "It will cost between $300 to $400 million of taxpayer and private dollars."

How much in private dollars and what is the source? Some people argue that corporations just pass on the cost to the consumer.

Who are the beneficiaries of this -- real estate developers?

How much in taxpayer dollars are we talking about spending and when do we get to have a say in the matter? $300 to $400 million is a LOT of money.

Who's going to be riding herd on the costs? We just voted for a $250 million infrastructure bond in 2015, and now we're told that there's already a huge shortfall and that costs are far more than estimated.

[CCATL]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

This is new? Is this not the same "stitch" we've been talking about for years?



Simply not feasible. Much of the connector is at or above grade, and I don't know what parts of 20 you're talking about, but it is almost all above grade.

They had talked about putting a cap over I-20 through sections of Grant Park. It's not as continuous as the connector, but parts of it are below grade between Hill St and Boulevard. If anything, we could at least use pedestrian bridges to cross the highway. I think that would be a lot more useful than the one causing a ruckus that is going over Northside.