Beltline purchases key parcel to connect Eastside Trail and Historic Fourth Ward Park
Purchase price was $1.325 million for less than one acre
- Joeff Davis/CL File
- Once built, the gateway will provide greater access between trail and Historic Fourth Ward Park, pictured above
Atlanta Beltline officials have purchased a key piece of property that will link the project’s most prominent multi-use trail with one of its most celebrated parks.
The .76-acre property, which was purchased from the Trust for Public Land for $1.325 million on Dec. 31, 2012, will allow people to travel between the Beltline’s Eastside Trail and Historic Fourth Ward Park without taking a roundabout route along city streets.
Says Trust for Public Land:
Funding for the acquisition came from private donations to the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership Capital Campaign. This “Gateway” connection, when completed, will for the first time link this new park to the rest of the Atlanta BeltLine, which connects to Piedmont Park and the Freedom Park Trail leading to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library complex.
“This acquisition is another critical milestone for the Atlanta BeltLine that will connect two of the city’s newest and most inspiring public places,” said Lisa Gordon, Chief Operating Officer and interim leader of Atlanta Beltline Inc.. “We are grateful for the strong partnerships that have brought the Atlanta BeltLine so far along, and The Trust for Public Land has been integral to our efforts since the very beginning.”
The Trust for Public Land purchased the 0.76 acre property adjacent to The Masquerade, south of North Avenue, in 2005. A recent donation to The Atlanta BeltLine Partnership Capital Campaign allowed Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. to complete the transaction with The Trust for Public Land and assume ownership.
The design of the gateway between the Beltline and the park is currently underway. Workers should start construction on the link later this year and open the gateway in 2014.