With the largest award in history to this region, the $157,645,161 Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant award for The Stitch will kickstart phase 1 construction of a planned multi-use 14-acre greenspace over Interstates 75 and 85. This transformative project aims to reconnect Downtown and Midtown Atlanta, previously divided by the highway system.

Beyond fostering community cohesion, The Stitch will enhance Downtown Atlanta’s transportation network by converting car-oriented streets into complete streets and improving the local MARTA rail and regional bus station for better operations and user experience. A group project, this announcement heralds the power of collaboration that couldn’t happen without input and support from the Atlanta community.

“Today’s monumental announcement is why effective representation in Washington D.C. matters. Senators Ossoff and Warnock, alongside Congresswoman Williams have consistently delivered for the Atlanta community time and again. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Bipartisan Infrastructure Law we have a massive investment into our city. I also want to thank U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg for always being an ally to both the Administration and Atlantans alike. As chair of the Atlanta Regional Commission, these funds will catalyze the Stitch and the Atlanta BeltLine to Flint River Trail, both long-term investments to the region that will unite our communities and move Atlanta forward," stated Mayor Andre Dickens.

Phase 1 of The Stitch addresses the enduring impact of Interstates I-75 and I-85 on Downtown Atlanta. It aims to reestablish community connectivity by capping the interstate with a new 4-acre park, implementing multimodal improvements across the street network, investing in affordable housing, and rehabilitating the MARTA Civic Center station. With development and design underway, construction of phase 1 is slated to begin in 2026, with an estimated completion in 2029.

“ADID is also grateful for the dedication of its implementation partners to the Stitch and their support of this grant request. These partners include Mayor Andre Dickens and the City of Atlanta, Executive Director Anna Roach and the Atlanta Regional Commission, Commissioner Russell McMurry and the Georgia Department of Transportation, and General Manager Collie Greenwood and MARTA,” stated A.J. Robinson, President of Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District.

“The Stitch has been a dream of the Downtown Atlanta community for 20 years. With the award of this USDOT funding authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, we are now able to make this dream a reality,” stated Jack Cebe, Stitch Development Manager, the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District.

Additionally, $50 million in federal funding will flow to the Atlanta Beltline to Flint River Trail, bridging existing transportation barriers to connect Atlanta’s south side communities, including schools, hospitals, job centers, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail stations, the Beltline, and employment centers. The trail would further connect communities around Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and would help promote long-term economic growth in the area.