Beltline design team selected

The Board of Directors at Atlanta Beltline Inc. today approved the selection of Perkins+Will and James Corner Field Operations to lead the design of the 22-mile Beltline Corridor.

Following a competitive bidding process and much analysis, the board selected the two groups they felt would most aptly bring to life the city’s visionary urban renewal project, and incorporate the central themes of transit, trails and greenspace.

“By creating a design which will integrate all of the BeltLine’s components in a comprehensive way we are building the BeltLine’s foundation,” said Brian Leary, President & CEO of Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.

The overall design of the corridor – which, in total, will include 19 firms – will define the physical boundaries of the 22-mile loop and identify engineering constraints and solutions. ABI believes that, as a tangible design for the Beltline progresses, the project will become better eligible for federal funding and be deemed more “shovel ready.”

James Corner Field Operations was recently commended for their completion of New York City’s High Line urban park project, which was build on the site of an old elevated freight railroad. Their counterpart, Perkins+Will – a globally-established design firm that prides itself on sustainability, - will be headed by Leo Alvarez, John Threadgill and Ryan Gravel – the Georgia Tech graduate who’s thesis the Beltline is based on.

Newly-elected Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed called ABI’s design team selection “a great step forward,” adding, “The eyes of the nation are on Atlanta’s Beltline as a model for smart growth and urban redevelopment.”