The Atlanta BeltLine is a $2.8 billion urban mobility and redevelopment project that will shape the way Atlanta and the surrounding region grow over the next several decades through a package of investments in trails, transit, parks and affordable housing. The project is the most comprehensive economic development effort ever undertaken in the City of Atlanta and among the largest sustainable redevelopment in the nation that exemplifies livability. The project will improve water and air quality while providing transportation alternatives that expand existing regional transit investments

Specific program components of the Atlanta BeltLine include 22-miles of light-rail transit connecting to the existing MARTA heavy rail commuter system, 1,300-acres of new park and greenspace, 33-miles of multi-use trails, an estimated 5,000 units of affordable and workforce housing, economic development in 20 areas around Atlanta with the creation of an estimated 30,000 new permanent jobs, historic preservation, public art, and the remediation of an estimated 1,100-acres of brownfield properties. EPA grants have supported the Beltline development since Atlanta’s initial Brownfields grant was awarded in 1999. Since then, EPA has awarded additional Assessment Grants, a Revolving Loan Fund Grant, and a recent Area Wide Planning Grant for support of both Beltline and other Redevelopment Corridors in the city.

The BeltLine Corridor is the spine for the overall project. The revitalized Corridor will serve as the hub for the proposed light-rail transit and multi-use trail system. The Corridor itself is comprised of a series of individual freight routes surrounding the core of downtown Atlanta. Redevelopment of these corridors will result in a 22-mile loop through 45 neighborhoods around the city.

Northeast Corridor Cleanup with EPA RLF

The Northeast Corridor, which will receive EPA Revolving Loan Funds, was the first corridor purchased for the Atlanta BeltLine. It was acquired in 2007 from a private developer. The 66-acre Corridor, which had been a freight rail route for over 100 years, extends 4.6-miles from Buford Highway to Dekalb Avenue. Prior to acquisition by the previous owner, the Corridor was owned by Norfolk Southern Railroad Corporation. The use of the Corridor as a freight rail line goes back over 100 years.

The Corridor was entered into the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s (EPD) Brownfield Program by the previous owner. Phase I Environmental Site Assessments and Phase II Site Investigations were conducted for the Corridor in late 2004. Results from these studies revealed intermittent areas of contamination along the Corridor, which appeared to be a direct result of the types of industries served by the railroad. No known sources of contaminants are believed to be situated within the Corridor itself. Subsequent to the Phase I and Phase II Studies, a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) was submitted and approved by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD). The CAP has since been extended through the end of 2012 to allow for remediation activities to be completed.