Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms joined other City officials to break ground on what will become the largest park in the City of Atlanta, the future Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry.

Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Amy Phuong; Department of Watershed Management Commissioner Kishia L. Powell; Councilmember Michael Julian Bond; Councilmember Dustin Hillis; Renew Atlanta Interim General Manager Tom Weyandt; Atlanta Beltline Partnership Executive Director Rob Brawner; and Atlanta Beltline Inc Interim Chief Executive Officer Clyde Higgs participated in the event.  

“The Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry will change the surrounding landscape far beyond just being the largest greenspace in the city,” said Mayor Bottoms. “The park will become ground zero for some of the biggest economic investments ever seen on the Westside of Atlanta. It will help neighborhoods here thrive and return to their former glory, as well as be the home of an important back-up water source for the entire city.”

A $26.5 million project, the initial phase of the future Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry will include a park gateway entrance at the intersection of Johnson Road and Grove Park Place on the north side of the park. The design will provide lighting, signage, well-designed graphics and will promote pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

The restoration of Grove Park Place will include the removal of invasive species, resurfacing of the roadway, and the rehabilitation of vegetation along the corridor. Additionally, the grand overlook area will maximize breathtaking panoramic views of the reservoir and the Atlanta skyline. Visitors will also be able to experience the quarry by ADA accessible trails leading to the grand overlook.

“The Department of Parks and Recreation is excited to break ground today on the Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry,” said Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Amy Phuong. “Since being appointed as Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner in 2015, it has been an honor and privilege to help increase access to greenspace and to help grow our programs and facilities in our recreation centers. I am proud to be here today celebrating the beginning of this transformative project and to thank Mayor Bottoms and City leaders for their commitment to this park and our city.”

Since September 2016, the City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management has been working to transform the Bellwood quarry into a more than two billion gallon emergency drinking water reservoir that will increase the City’s emergency water supply from three to thirty days.

As the population of the City of Atlanta continues to grow, the need for public greenspaces will have to increase accordingly. The groundbreaking today takes a giant step forward in that direction.