Rob Brawner, Executive Director with the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership spoke to the RPN Midtown group with news of the Atlanta BeltLine, a nationally recognized urban project located within Fulton County that creates a 22 mile loop of transit connecting 45 neighborhoods, 15,000 acres, and 20% of the city. The Atlanta BeltLine vision began in the late 90s as a grassroots movement and it garnered support from former mayor Shirley Franklin who believed in the concept and made it a priority for Atlanta. The Atlanta Committee for Progress was formed in 2005, with top CEOs, heads of universities and large philanthropic foundations working with the mayor to create the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership.

Rob reports the BeltLine is fundamentally changing the city with $3.7B of economic development to date. People want to live and work around the BeltLine especially with 1,300 acres of public greenspace, 33 miles of multi-use trails and 22 miles of pedestrian friendly rail transit. The T-SPLOST was approved in November which will provide funds to purchase the remainder of the 22 mile corridor not currently owned by the BeltLine.