ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – On Thursday, MARTA’s CEO laid out Atlanta’s newest alternative plan to renovate the city’s biggest and busiest station.
“We have been asked to investigate further a temporary fix to the roof structure, which would allow us to leave it in place while addressing water issues,” said CEO Collie Greenwood.
The latest details were not delivered by city officials, but instead by MARTA leadership in the latest turn of what’s been a contentious back-and-forth over the future of the Five Points station.
Two city officials, with knowledge of the city’s conversations with MARTA over Five Points, confirmed with Atlanta News First that the city’s preferred option for Five Points is a 10-year fix.
The two officials asked to remain anonymous because they were not given permission to speak on record about the specifics of the progress of the renovation project.
Greenwood also confirmed the city’s preferred option during Wednesday’s board meeting.
“What they’re looking for is an increased level of clarity on what they deem the alternative, which is the 10-year fix,” Greenwood said.
Greenwood said construction on that fix would not begin until early 2026.
“If we do pivot, then construction on the pivot, which is the 10-year fix wouldn’t start until 2026, January 2026,” Greenwood said on Thursday. “So there is no hope of anything being ready for World Cup, the only hope there is the construction doesn’t impede World Cup.”
On Thursday, Michael Smith, press secretary for the Atlanta mayor’s office, outlined the potential benefits of an alternative rehab plan.
“Time is money, which is exactly why MARTA should consider pausing their current plan — which does not move anyone, anywhere, any faster— and quickly conduct a deep assessment of the alternative proposal which addresses maintenance concerns in the station, minimizes impacts to riders (particularly those with physical or mobility challenges), saves money and allows for those funds to be properly allocated towards projects that move people from point A to point B,” Smith wrote in an email to Atlanta News First.
Earlier this month, MARTA was set to begin a $230 million renovation plan to the Five Points station.
“Everything was fine until about three weeks ago,” Greenwood explained to board members questioning how agreements dissolved between the city and MARTA over a Five Points renovation plan.
On June 6, Mayor Andre Dickens wrote a letter to Greenwood asking the transit agency to pause the planned renovation.
The mayor cited potential misuse of taxpayer funds tied to the More Marta program, the funding source for the renovation.
On Thursday, CEO Greenwood called the allegations “unsubstantiated.”
The renovation plan also called to close station access to pedestrians for up to 18 months.
Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman and councilmember Jason Dozier told Atlanta News First they believed that the length of closure was too long.
Greenwood said that temporarily fixing the roof, and then later replacing it, will cost the taxpayers twice.
He also stressed MARTA is losing money in assumed costs to contractors while the current renovation project is paused.
“I think that tells a different story, the economic impact of the delay, or pause,” said MARTA Board member Valencia Williamson.
Greenwood estimated that for every day the project is paused, they’re losing roughly $10,000.
“The conversations with (the contractor involved in planned renovation project) have suggested about $500,000 or so for a 6-week pause,” said Peter Andrews, chief legal counsel for MARTA, during Thursday’s board meeting.
“Pauses of that nature are a lot different than the long-term pause or cancellation when they have to then determine a place to use the crane, other than here. That would be a huge expense if they can’t. We’ve had some good conversations with the contractor, so we haven’t gotten those numbers yet, because we’re hoping to avoid it, but they’re likely to come after this six-week pause.”
Greenwood said he and Dickens have had several in-person conversations and traded emails and phone calls on the future of Five Points.
“The conversations with the city and MARTA have been productive. And in our conversations with MARTA, we were glad to receive a commitment from MARTA’s board chair that any funds owed to the More MARTA program — roughly $70 million — would be covered from MARTA reserves or other funding sources at their disposal,” Smith wrote on Thursday.
Greenwood said next steps in the conversation include providing the City with a cost-benefit analysis of a 10-year temporary fix compared with the current renovation plan.
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