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Emerald Necklace Case Study

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The Atlanta Beltline Emerald Necklace project, prepared by, Alex Garvin and Associates Inc., ties together proposed and existing trails along the 23 mile long Beltline Trail in Atlanta, Georgia. This project will provide every resident of the city with jogging, rollerblading, and cycling opportunities. This project will also include the conservation of land for future generations by transforming current space into parks. Moreover, “by tying together 46 neighborhoods with each other and three new MARTA stations, the 20 mile long Beltline Transit system will provide access to every major destination in Atlanta” which will include the acres that make up the Beltline Emerald Necklace (Alex Garvin & Associates, Inc., 2004). Overall, the Beltline …show more content…

The $25 million Greenway Acquisition Project (GAP) will play a major role in funding the construction of the Beltline Trail and acquiring the right-of-way to the trail (Alex Garvin & Associates, Inc., 2004). This project will acquire and protect targeted areas in perpetuity as buffer areas. These buffer areas will be protected from development and provide a vegetated filter for surface run off. In addition, the vegetated filter will protect the land from erosion. The procurement of these areas will be solely through voluntary or contribution sales at no value greater than fair market price and will be maintained by the city. These areas will provide land and funding for the Beltline by their demolition and/or redevelopment of properties in compliance with the stream buffer (Alex Garvin & Associates, Inc., 2004). The combined funds received from acquisitions and GAP may be beneficial to go towards the construction of the Beltline Trail. Following the creation of the Beltline Trail, the capital cost of developing the Beltline Transit is estimated to be around $400 million to $1.2 billion (Alex Garvin & Associates, Inc., 2004). Initially, the invested costs must be provided by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that will be reimbursed. The NGOs initial money to secure the right-of-way for the trail will be …show more content…

To maintain the operation and maintenance of parks and trails there is a need to implement a financing mechanism to address costs. Since the Beltline is a multi-use trail, revenue can be received from easements, leaseholds, purchases, contractual agreements and land swaps (Alex Garvin & Associates, Inc., 2004). More specifically, a proven effective alternative mechanisms to finance park operations includes lease payments, fees, real estate taxes, sales tax, and Community Improvement Districts (CIDs) (Alex Garvin & Associates, Inc., 2004). Currently, Atlanta has nine CIDs (Alex Garvin & Associates, Inc., 2004). Fees are a source of revenue that could be levied on the operation of concessions such as festivals, snack bars and newsstands.
In conclusion, the BeltLine Emerald Necklace is a project that is sustainably good for the environment and the bottom line. The payback period for the investment on this project includes the initial investment up till the TAD and ARC’s funding becomes available. Moreover, this investment is not only sustainable for the environment but also the community. It would also be good for business by adding more train stops and accessibility to a greater population in Atlanta. Furthermore, this project did not include a specific cost-benefit

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