An artist rendering of The Stitch in downtown Atlanta. (City of Atlanta)
ATLANTA – The Atlanta City Council has voted to move forward on “The Stitch” project, which is expected to make huge changes in the heart of the city. The ambitious project will put a park over the Downtown Connector, re-stitching several communities together, which were long divided by the Interstate 75/85 corridor.
Downtown Connector to see major changes
What we know:
The Council passed several key ordinances to get “The Stitch” underway.
The first establishes an ad valorem tax levy on properties located within the new Atlanta Stitch Special Services District to help fund construction, operation, and maintenance of the project.
The second authorizes the city of Atlanta, the Atlanta Development Authority (doing business as Invest Atlanta), the Atlanta Urban Redevelopment Agency (AURA), and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID) to implement the project. It also allows the execution of intergovernmental agreements necessary for financing.
The final ordinance formally creates the Stitch Special Services District and defines its geographic boundaries.
The ordinances take immediate effect.
What Is The Stitch?
The backstory:
The Stitch project is expected to cover a portion of the Downtown Connector between Ted Turner Drive and Piedmont Avenue, uniting the two sides of downtown with a 14-acre series of interconnected parks, plazas, walking trails, and new streets.
City leaders say the project will help spur new land uses on nearby properties currently underused or blighted due to proximity to the interstate.
The project will physically reconnect the city and generate significant economic development opportunities.
How much will The Stitch cost?
By the numbers:
The project’s preliminary engineering has already secured roughly $200 million in funding, including $157.6 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program.
Local contributions include $10 million from the Eastside Tax Allocation District (TAD), $10 million from ADID, and $9.7 million from the City’s Moving Atlanta Forward bond funds.
However, completing the Stitch project is expected to cost between $550 million and $800 million.
City officials plan to leverage additional funding through bonds, notes, and other financing mechanisms approved in coordination with AURA and ADID.
Under the ordinance, AURA may issue up to $250 million in bonds with a maximum interest rate of 9 percent and a term not exceeding 30 years.
What’s next:
The city will ask the Georgia Department of Transportation to complete the project and maintain its infrastructure once built.
An exact timeline of the project has not been given, but Phase 1 is expected to begin in 2026 with the full project being completed by 2030.
What you can do:
More information about The Stitch project and the proposed master plan can be found at thestitchatl.com/project/master-plan.
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The Source: This article is based on proceedings made during the Atlanta City Council meeting on Monday, April 21, 2025. City records were also used for this article. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports were also used.
