MARTA’S FUTURE VISION

New Midtown stations & King Memorial development on tap

By Collin Kelley INtown Editor

MARTA is looking ahead to redeveloping its transit stations to make them more commuter and neighborhood friendly.

Midtown Alliance has released renderings of the proposed makeovers to the Midtown, Arts Center and North Avenue MARTA stations. Created by Smith Dalia Architects with input from Center Forward, Roseview, Sylvatica Studio, Gabler & Youngston Architectural Lighting Design and local artist Hense, the images show colorful greenery, plazas, retail and restaurant space to transform the stations into more than just transit stations, but destinations.

Midtown Alliance has been working with MARTA on a study (funded with an $80,000 grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission) to radically improve the visual appeal of the train stations. “We want the stations to act as a gateway as well and give riders a since of arrival into

Midtown,” Midtown Alliance CEO Kevin Green said.

The cost to revamp the stations is estimated at $11.6 million. Whether the stations will actually wind up looking like these images remains to be seen.

Also in the pipeline is the selection of Walton Communities to build a mixed-use development of nearly 400 apartments and 13,000 square feet of retail next door to the King Memorial MARTA station. The roughly four-acre property sits behind the transit station and is currently a parking lot.

King Memorial is the first station selected by MARTA for a mixeduse development to be built on land owned by the transit system. Last year, MARTA put out a call for developers to submit plans for projects that would spur revitalization – and generate revenue – around 10 stations in the system.

The next potential development is around the Avondale Estates MARTA station.