New Segment of Atlanta Beltline Opens, But What Next?

By Stan | Published on November 22, 2012 | Updated on November 22, 2012 4:36 PM EST

Atlanta leaders converged on the Old Fourth Ward Monday to celebrate the opening of the first major section of the Atlanta Beltline. The 2.25 mile paved trail connects Piedmont Park to Inman Park.

“All you have to do is take a walk along the trail,” Mayor Kasim Reed said. “You see real estate being exchanged, you see new developments occurring, you see the City Hall East that was a 2 million square foot mothballed building coming to life again.”

The construction costs for the new section were about $10.5 million, half of which came from private donations. The larger project calls for 22 miles of trails circling the city replacing mostly abandoned rail lines.

So what’s next, how far along are they on their fundraising, and how long will it take to be finished?

There are still-unannounced trail and park projects on the southern and western sides of town. They’ll be acquiring land and raising money in order to complete them. Land acquisition is easier during a soft economy, but donations and taxes are lower.

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