Atlanta Beltline reaches major milestone in plan to complete trail loop by 2030

The Atlanta Beltline now has the land rights needed to build its entire 22-mile mainline trail. 

Atlanta Beltline Inc. announced Thursday that it has finished assembling the property and agreements required to connect more than 45 neighborhoods along the trail.

The work took more than 20 years and involved nearly 200 closings totaling more than $200 million, according to the organization. The Beltline acquired about 90 properties and secured 230 easements across more than 270 acres.

"This is a defining milestone for the Atlanta Beltline and for the future of Atlanta," Beltline President and CEO Clyde Higgs said in a statement. "We have secured the real estate foundation for the entire mainline trail, bringing us one major step closer to delivering the full Beltline loop by 2030."

The announcement does not mean the 22-mile loop is finished. Construction is underway on several remaining sections, including parts of the Northwest Trail.

The 4.3-mile Northwest Trail will connect Blandtown with the Lindbergh and Morosgo neighborhoods, closing the gap between the Westside and Northeast trails. Unlike much of the Beltline, that section does not follow an abandoned railroad corridor, requiring planners to create a new route through existing neighborhoods and business districts.

The land assembly included property along Peachtree Road in Buckhead. The Beltline said it created a 3.2-acre site near Bennett Street that could support the trail, affordable housing and commercial space.

"This was one of the most complex land-assembly efforts in the Beltline's history because we weren't simply following an existing rail corridor," said Dave Pierce, the organization's vice president of real estate and asset management.

The Beltline opened 16.7 miles of continuous mainline trail in June, its longest uninterrupted section to date. It also recently broke ground on Northwest Trail Segment 3B, which will include a pedestrian bridge over Northside Drive.

Although the necessary land rights are now secured, Beltline officials said they will continue pursuing properties that could improve or expand the trail.

The full mainline loop remains scheduled for completion in 2030.