Latest news with #AtlantaBeltline
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Grant awarded to Atlanta Beltline for public Wi-Fi gone with federal program termination
Atlanta Beltline, Inc. President & CEO Clyde Higgs said a $9 million grant to help build public Wi-Fi on the Beltline Corridor is no longer available. The funding was canceled along with the termination of the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, Higgs said in a statement. Initially, the grant was intended to pay to provide public high-speed Wi-Fi on the Beltline and help improve public safety technology, enhance wayfinding and provide digital training and literacy programming, according to officials. Now, the Beltline is searching for alternative funding sources, Higgs said. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: LIVE UPDATES: Tornado Warning issued in Coweta, Fayette counties R&B singer Jaheim charged in metro Atlanta animal cruelty case Metro Atlanta mother says insurance will only cover fraction of son's international ATV accident [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Officials break ground on park expansion in Atlanta's West End
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Atlanta Beltline, Inc. President and CEO Clyde Higgs, state officials, and other community leaders broke ground on an expansion of Enota Park on Tuesday. Beltline officials say the expansion will take the park from a 0.3-acre playlot to an 8-acre recreational destination. The project is scheduled for completion in Spring 2026. The expanded park will feature three distinct areas that will include a sheltered seating area, a lawn for community gatherings and recreation, a splash pad and play area, a half-court basketball court, and bathrooms. Security cameras, guard rails, and retaining walls will also be installed on-site. 'This original idea is now 16 years old, and we're finally able to bring this to fruition for the neighborhood,' Kevin Burke, ABI's Director of Design, said. 'Among other reasons, I'm especially glad that I've been able to stay with the project and be able to be a part of the team that has designed and will construct this park.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Veteran Atlanta Country music radio personality 'Cadillac Jack' has died at age 51 Paramedic accused of assaulting patient in ambulance in Cobb County Mother describes horrifying moments as she watched her SUV burst into flames along GA 400 [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beltline to break ground on new park in Atlanta's West End
Next week, the Atlanta Beltline will break ground on a new park in the city's West End. According to the organization, residents in Westview lost access to their only playground and field when J.C. Harris Elementary School closed in 1973. Now, more than 50 years later, the Beltline is breaking ground on Enota Park to give the community in that area a walkable, central location for 'neighborhood kids' to 'meet their friends once again.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The groundbreaking will be on April 22 at 3 p.m., with officials kicking off construction of what they say will be an expansion of a 0.3-acre playlot on Enota Place. The new park will be almost eight acres by using a combination of 'previously overgrown, wooded, non-developed property and residential land purchased from willing sellers.' TRENDING STORIES: 'Minecraft' mayhem: 'Chicken jockey' trend trashes Sandy Springs movie theater 19-year-old identified as innocent driver killed when chase suspect crashes Multi-million dollar reward offered for brothers accused of running Mexican drug cartel 'Westview has always been a community of strength, resilience, and unity,' Dion Standford, who grew up on Lucille Ave. next to Enota Park and has since moved back into his childhood home said. 'As we embrace new changes and welcome Enota Park, we are not just adding a park—we are investing in the heart and soul of our neighborhood. This park represents more than just land; it represents the next chapter of Westview, a place where the next generation can create memories, just as I did growing up here.' Once the construction is complete, which officials said was supposed to take 18 months to finish, it'll feature areas for concerts, basketball, a splash pad, large lawn, a boardwalk, multiple overlooks and separate bathrooms and utility buildings. Security cameras, guard rails and retaining walls will also be installed on-site. 'This original idea is now 16 years old, and we're finally able to bring this to fruition for the neighborhood,' Kevin Burke, ABI's Director of Design, said. 'Among other reasons, I'm especially glad that I've been able to stay with the project and be able to be a part of the team that has designed and will construct this park.' Funding to build the new park comes from a combination of public and private sources. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Atlanta Beltline temporarily free to chop down, replace trees as city council reviews tree ordinance
The Atlanta City Council is set to review a decades-old tree ordinance, and while it's doing so, they voted to let the Atlanta Beltline have free reign to chop down and replace trees throughout the city. According to the ordinance passed Monday, the city council said that public space available on city land is limited, including in public right-of-ways. The current Tree Protection Ordinance for the City of Atlanta 'imposes certain requirements on City of Atlanta government's own development and construction activities that may inadvertently slow or obstruct essential public infrastructure projects.' The current tree ordinance requires that there is no net loss of trees within the city limits. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Coca-Cola says tariffs could hit bottom line if canning, bottling costs rise Docuseries about Atlanta's 'Magic City' strip club to premiere this summer Construction worker dies after falling 19 stories in downtown Atlanta As a result, the council said that could cause delays and increase costs without benefiting the public, so they were enacting a revised Tree Protection Ordinance so that public infrastructure projects that need to remove trees from private property, but would cause a net loss of trees in Atlanta, could move forward. Going forward, the Atlanta Beltline, the Path Foundation, the Atlanta Department of Watershed Management, Atlanta Department of Transportation and Atlanta Department of Assets Management would be exempt from the tree-clearing related restrictions as officials work to update its provisions for a more modern Atlanta. The exemption will last a year from passage, continuing through March 17, 2026, or when a revised Tree Protection Order is in effect, whichever comes first, according to documents from the Atlanta City Council. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Atlanta exempts Beltline, other projects from city's tree protection ordinance
The Brief The Atlanta City Council has voted to temporarily exempt the Beltline and other major infrastructure projects from the city's tree ordinance. Officials say the tree ordinance slows or obstructs infrastructure projects - causing delays and higher development costs without added public benefit. The exemption will remain in effect until March 17, 2026, or until the Atlanta City Council approves another revised Tree Protection Ordinance. ATLANTA - The Atlanta City Council has voted to temporarily exempt the Beltline and other infrastructure projects from the city's tree ordinance. After a debate at Monday's meeting, the council members voted unanimously to approve the exemption. Two council members, Andrea Boone and Liliana Bakhtiari, did not vote. The backstory The tree ordinance is in place to protect the city's tree canopy and regulates what both public and private groups and individuals can do to the "City in a Forest's" foliage. The most recent update to the ordinance was in late 2023, when the city made changes to increase canopy cover and support preservation of the plants. The city's goal is to have its tree canopy covering 50% of its land area, but a 2024 report from Rough Draft showed the number has dropped to a tad more than 46%. While advocates for the ordinance point to its positive impact on energy costs and air quality, officials say the restrictions slow or obstruct infrastructure projects - causing delays and higher development costs without added public benefit. What we know City council members say the exemption will allow the city to clear a backlog of projects that have been delayed by the ordinance. The measure would make public infrastructure projects involving the Atlanta Beltline and the Path Foundation exempt. Also included would be projects administered by the City of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management (DWM), Department of Transportation (ATLDOT), and Department of Enterprise Assets Management (DEAM). Despite the exemption, the new measure would ask the city to plant trees on project sites "to the maximum extent feasible." Departments given the exemption will be asked to submit annual reports on how their ongoing infrastructure projects affect the canopy and what they are doing to mitigate the reduction. What's next The exemption will remain in effect until March 17, 2026, or until the Atlanta City Council approves another revised Tree Protection Ordinance. The Source Information for this story came from the Tree Protection Ordinance, the Atlanta City Council's motion, and a report from Rough Draft.
