Latest news with #ReconnectingCommunitiesPilotProgram
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Atlanta City Council greenlights ‘The Stitch' to transform Downtown Connector
The Brief The Atlanta City Council has approved "The Stitch" project, aiming to reconnect communities divided by the Interstate 75/85 corridor with a park over the Downtown Connector. The project has secured approximately $200 million in funding, but the total cost is estimated to be between $550 million and $800 million, with plans to leverage additional funding through bonds and other financing mechanisms. Phase 1 of "The Stitch" is expected to begin in 2026, with the full project anticipated to be completed by 2030. ATLANTA - The Atlanta City Council has voted to move forward on "The Stitch" project, which is expected to make huge changes in the heart of the city. The ambitious project will put a park over the Downtown Connector, re-stitching several communities together, which were long divided by the Interstate 75/85 corridor. What we know The Council passed several key ordinances to get "The Stitch" underway. The first establishes an ad valorem tax levy on properties located within the new Atlanta Stitch Special Services District to help fund construction, operation, and maintenance of the project. The second authorizes the city of Atlanta, the Atlanta Development Authority (doing business as Invest Atlanta), the Atlanta Urban Redevelopment Agency (AURA), and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID) to implement the project. It also allows the execution of intergovernmental agreements necessary for financing. The final ordinance formally creates the Stitch Special Services District and defines its geographic boundaries. The ordinances take immediate effect. The backstory The Stitch project is expected to cover a portion of the Downtown Connector between Ted Turner Drive and Piedmont Avenue, uniting the two sides of downtown with a 14-acre series of interconnected parks, plazas, walking trails, and new streets. City leaders say the project will help spur new land uses on nearby properties currently underused or blighted due to proximity to the interstate. The project will physically reconnect the city and generate significant economic development opportunities. By the numbers The project's preliminary engineering has already secured roughly $200 million in funding, including $157.6 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program. Local contributions include $10 million from the Eastside Tax Allocation District (TAD), $10 million from ADID, and $9.7 million from the City's Moving Atlanta Forward bond funds. However, completing the Stitch project is expected to cost between $550 million and $800 million. City officials plan to leverage additional funding through bonds, notes, and other financing mechanisms approved in coordination with AURA and ADID. Under the ordinance, AURA may issue up to $250 million in bonds with a maximum interest rate of 9 percent and a term not exceeding 30 years. What's next The city will ask the Georgia Department of Transportation to complete the project and maintain its infrastructure once built. An exact timeline of the project has not been given, but Phase 1 is expected to begin in 2026 with the full project being completed by 2030. What you can do More information about The Stitch project and the proposed master plan can be found at SEE ALSO: City Council seeks federal funding for Downtown Atlanta's 'The Stitch' project Plans continue moving forward for The Stitch park over Atlanta's Downtown Connector The Source This article is based on proceedings made during the Atlanta City Council meeting on Monday, April 21, 2025. City records were also used for this article. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports were also used.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
$2 million ‘Reconnecting Communities' grant to support transportation infrastructure in New Haven
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Local and federal officials are announcing a big grant for New Haven. The program is called 'Reconnecting Communities.' Its goal is to lessen the impact Interstate 91 had on neighborhoods in Elm City. The I-91 off-ramp has impacted homes and businesses in the area. That was part of the so-called 'urban renewal' of the 1960s. Operation Fuel's winter energy assistance program is underway Sen. Blumenthal, Congresswoman DeLauro and Mayor Elicker are announcing a $2 million grant on Monday from the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program that will study ways to mitigate the impact I-91 had on local communities. That may include removing physical barriers, making it easier to walk around these neighborhoods, and even building more housing in these areas. Any action they take will come after plenty of time talking with community members about what they would like to see done. The areas at which they're looking include Union Station to Long Wharf, the 91\95 interchange, Wooster Square Court to Audobon, Exit 3, the Mill River District, Exits 4 and 5 on State Street, and Exit 6 at Willow Street. That announcement will come at 11:30 on Monday near I-91 at the Ralph Walker Skating Rink. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
