Atlanta Freeway Cap Among Reconnecting Communities Awards

A proposed freeway cap over Atlanta’s Downtown Connector dubbed The Stitch is one recipient of the recently announced first round of the federal Reconnecting Communities grants, reports Josh Green in Urbanize Atlanta.

While the $1.1 million grant is only a small part of the total funding needed for the project, which is estimated at $713 million, it will be put toward engineering work, Green explains. “The Stitch, if fully realized, would be nearly as large as 16-acre Rodney Cook Sr. Park, located in Vine City on the flipside of downtown. It’s one of three major highway-capping proposals in the city currently in fundraising mode. The others are Buckhead’s HUB404 and the largest (but now smaller) Midtown Connector concept.”

The Stitch could be completed, at the earliest, in 2032. “As of November, the city, ADID, and federal government officials had channeled about $15 million toward making The Stitch a reality. Other potential funding sources could include philanthropy and mechanisms such as tax allocation districts.”

More on The Stitch:

• Atlanta Launches Website for Highway Cap Project
• Atlanta Highway Cap Project Gets New Life
• 3 Freeway Cap Projects Designed to Undo the Racism of the Past
• $300 Million Cap Park Proposed for Downtown Atlanta