BeltLine buys property to complete Eastside Trail

By Collin Kelley

The Atlanta BeltLine announced that it has purchased 13 acres between Rock Springs Road and Mayson Street, which will complete the Eastside Trail of the 22-mile loop. The purchase price was $460,000, according to a media release.

The property, part of the former rail corridor owned by Norfolk Southern, crosses over the Buford Spring Connector and under I-85 before connecting with Mayson Street. The .25 mile extension takes the Eastside Trail to the Armour Drive area, which is undergoing a renaissance with new business, restaurants and retail.

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Purchase of the property was supported by a loan from The Conservation Fund, which will be paid back with funding from the T-SPLOT (transportation – special local option sales tax).

A construction timeline was not announced, but BeltLine officials said it would not begin until design and full funding is secured for the project.

Meanwhile, officials opened the southern extension of the Eastside Trail in a ceremony on Nov. 3.

The addition runs for one mile from the previous terminus at Irwin Street south to the new terminus at Kirkwood Avenue. This new segment includes sensor lights and seven cameras integrated into the Atlanta Police Department’s Video Integration System (VIC). Funding for the southern extension of the Eastside Trail comes from the BeltLine Tax Allocation District, Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, The Kendeda Fund and Waterfall Foundation.