Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced the opening of the first three miles of the Proctor Creek Greenway. Through a $3.6 million investment from TSPLOST funding and a $160,000 investment from the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management, the complete seven-mile stretch will feature 400 acres of greenspace and 50 acres of linear park.  The bike and pedestrian trail will span from Maddox Park and the Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail to the Chattahoochee River.

“Completion of the Proctor Creek Greenway is a priority of my Administration. This innovative project will serve as a catalyst for new development, healthier residents and a more connected community,” said Mayor Bottoms. “A once overwhelmingly polluted waterway has been revitalized to provide historically isolated neighborhoods greater access to nearby parks, schools and restaurants.”

“I am proud to see this project come to fruition and connect an underserved part of Atlanta to areas seeing progressive growth and development,” said Stephanie Stuckey, Chief Resilience Officer. “Today’s groundbreaking ceremony highlights the power of public-private partnerships when advancing the City’s sustainability commitments.”

“Collaborative support from city, state and federal partners, have helped us achieve this significant milestone,” said Kwanza Hall, Invest Atlanta. “I accept the charge from Mayor Bottoms to continue this great work to build out the greenway and also expand the scope so that we can deliver on the broader promise of the proctor creek watershed. The next chapter will involve an intentional focus on creating a framework for equitable and inclusive affordable housing.”

The Proctor Creek Greenway is the first project funded by TSPLOST funds, bringing together a partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Resilience, Department of Watershed Management, Department of Parks and Recreation, PATH Foundation, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., Proctor Creek Stewardship Council, Chick-fil-A, Westside Future Fund, Blank Foundation, Grove Park Neighborhood Association, and the Emerald Corridor Foundation.

Federal partners include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

During the ceremony, Mayor Bottoms was joined by District 9 Councilmember, Dustin Hillis; Chief Resilience Officer Stephanie Stuckey, Kwanza Hall, Invest Atlanta; Joel Bowman, Emerald Corridor Foundation; Mark Teixeira, Emerald Corridor Foundation; Faye DiMassimo, General Manager of Renew Atlanta and TSPLOST; the Proctor Creek Stewardship Council, along with other Atlanta City Council and community members.