Dist. 5 Congresswoman Nikema Williams announced on Tuesday that $207,645,161 in new federal funding has been secured for The Stitch project in Downtown Atlanta and to connect the Atlanta BeltLine to the Fint River Trail.
The funding comes from the Neighborhood Access and Equity Program, a provision based on Williams’ Neighborhood Access and Equity Grants Act which was included in the Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress.
The Stitch will receive $157,645,161 while $50,000,000 will go to connect the Atlanta BeltLine with the Flint River Trail. Williams secured the first federal investment in the engineering phase for The Stitch with her Community Project Funding Grant for FY 22. The Stitch also received one of the first grants from the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, which was based on legislation written by Williams. Shhe has secured more than $70 million to complete and connect the BeltLine, including $25 million in June to connect the BeltLine to Lindbergh Center.
The $157,645,161 award for The Stitch will fund phase 1 construction of a planned multi-use 14-acre greenspace over Interstates 75 and 85 that will reconnect the district that was divided by the Downtown Connector in the 1950s,
The $50 million for the Flint River Trail link would further connect communities around Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and would help promote long-term economic growth in the area.
Williams said in a statement:
“The Stitch will reclaim a massive part of our city from infrastructure that divided the Black neighborhoods of Buttermilk Bottoms, Bedford Pines, and Sweet Auburn. And with a new connection to the BeltLine, we are increasing pathways to opportunity for communities that have historically been overlooked for federal investments. Reconnecting our communities with a focus on equity is why I passed the legislation that funded these transformational grants. I will keep working with Central…
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