Mayor Kasim Reed broke ground on the $11.5 million Proctor Creek Greenway, a seven-mile bike and pedestrian trail spanning from Maddox Park to the Chattahoochee River. During the ceremony, Mayor Reed was joined by Chief Resilience Officer Stephanie Stuckey, General Manager of Renew Atlanta and TSPLOST Faye DiMassimo, Department of Watershed Management Commissioner Kishia Powell, PATH Foundation Executive Director Ed McBrayer, Proctor Creek Stewardship Council Chair Na’Taki Osborne-Jelks and Atlanta City Councilmember Felicia Moore.

The completed Proctor Creek Greenway will feature 50 acres of linear park and 400 acres of greenspace, and will offer connectivity to the Bankhead MARTA Station and the Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail.

“Today’s groundbreaking ceremony is yet another example of our dedication to revitalize the communities close to Proctor Creek,” said Mayor Reed. “My Administration is committed to enhancing quality of life by creating and expanding greenspace which will allow all City of Atlanta residents to be in walking distance of a park. The mobilization of this natural asset will get us closer to this goal and serve as a catalyst for growth and economic opportunity for years to come.”

In February, Mayor Reed announced that $3 million in TSPLOST revenue would fund the first segment of the Proctor Creek Greenway. The initial phase of Proctor Creek will cost approximately $4 million, and the Mayor’s Office of Resilience, Department of Watershed Management, PATH Foundation and the Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. will help fund the project.
 
The PATH Foundation completed the Master Plan for the trail in April. The Master Plan divides trail construction into six segments.  The initial phase is approximately two miles from the Bankhead MARTA Station through the future Westside Quarry Park to the existing Westview Cemetery Trail, and includes a connector spur to the Grove Park neighborhood.
 
“I am so proud to celebrate the ground breaking of the Proctor Creek Greenway,” said Stephanie Stuckey, Chief Resilience Officer. “When I was appointed two years ago, Mayor Reed expressed his commitment to revitalizing Proctor Creek and charged me with executing his vision. Today we celebrate a promise made and kept by this Administration. The greenway will provide an entryway to the Chattahoochee River, which currently has limited trail access with the city limits, and will serve as a source of pride for the community for years to come.”
 
The Reed Administration has made revitalizing Proctor Creek and its surrounding area a top priority. In November of 2015, Mayor Reed signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authorizing a three-year environmental feasibility study to address the water quality, flood risks, ecological habitat restoration and stream bank remediation of the Proctor Creek Watershed. Other federal partners who have agreed to share resources to restore the environmental and economic quality of the creek include 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.
 
The Proctor Creek Greenway is a partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Resilience, TSPLOST, Department of Watershed Management, Department of Parks and Recreation, PATH Foundation, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc., Proctor Creek Stewardship Council and the Emerald Corridor Foundation.