Our Role

Engaging the Community in the BeltLine Vision

In March 2021, Mayor Bottoms and the Atlanta City Council approved legislation creating the Atlanta BeltLine Special Service District (SSD) that will provide approximately $100 million towards completing the Atlanta BeltLine’s 22-mile multi-use trail loop.

Part of the legislation requires the formation of a Stakeholder Advisory Board to provide an additional layer of guidance from community stakeholders from each BeltLine Subarea, including commercial property owners, small business operators, multifamily property owners, and multifamily rental property residents.

The new advisory board will meet quarterly and is responsible for providing non-binding advice, robust analysis, and critical thinking for the utilization of the $100M Special Service District funds to complete the Atlanta BeltLine trail loop.

Roles and Responsibilities

  • Provide strategic insight, current knowledge, and advice;
  • Explore opportunities and problem solve;
  • Ensure transparency of how the dollars are used; and,
  • Help with trade-off analysis and other matters that require critical thinking.

The Problem  //  The Solution


The problem:
Why is there a shortage in funding for the Atlanta BeltLine?

The funding premise of the Atlanta BeltLine assumed trail would be built soon after the creation of our primary funding mechanism, the Atlanta BeltLine Tax Allocation District, or TAD, in 2005. Completed trail stimulates economic development, which leads to more funding for the project.

Several events hindered BeltLine build out in the early years:

  • Lawsuits challenging the participation of schools in a TAD,
  • Renegotiation of payments Atlanta Public Schools receives over the life of the TAD,
  • Fewer bonds issued to fund corridor construction,
  • Tax abatements, and
  • The Great Recession.

These factors created uncertainty, slowed down economic development, and reduced TAD revenue in the first decade of the BeltLine, which impacted the compound growth in funding that would have come from stimulating more TAD growth.

New sources of revenue are critical to fill the more than $1 billion funding gap BeltLine and keep our promises to deliver the BeltLine vision.

The solution:
How does SSD fill the gap?

To complete the Atlanta BeltLine trail corridor by 2030, three hundred and fifty million dollars is needed. Although the Atlanta BeltLine Tax Allocation District, or TAD, is now performing well, it will not provide the full funding required.

A Special Service District, or SSD, will help fill that funding gap. An SSD is a targeted tax district where commercial and multi-family property owners pay slightly more in property taxes to fund the completion of the Atlanta BeltLine Trail.

The TAD is on track to provide one hundred million dollars for trail construction.

The increase of two mills on some five thousand parcels in the SSD would fund an additional one hundred million dollars of improvements.

An SSD would also help unlock another one hundred million dollars in matching funds from the philanthropic community.

With three hundred million dollars of confirmed funding, it will be easier to go after federal and state funding to get the remaining fifty million dollars needed.

The SSD will not only fund the completion of the Atlanta BeltLine trails, but it will also free up TAD dollars that will be earmarked for other BeltLine initiatives that will greatly benefit the community.

Meetings & Agendas

Meeting Schedule and Summaries

Check the schedule below for specific meeting details. Once the meeting notes are approved by the committee they will be posted here.

FILTER MEETINGS:
Meeting dateLocationTypeDocumentation
Past Meetings
1699977600November 14, 2023 4:00pm - 5:00pmVirtual MeetingSSD Advisory Board
1691510400August 8, 2023 4:00pm - 5:30pmVirtual MeetingSSD Advisory Board
1686672000June 13, 2023 4:00pm - 5:00pmVirtual MeetingSSD Advisory Board
1678809600March 14, 2023 4:00pm - 5:00pmVirtual MeetingSSD Advisory Board
1668528000November 15, 2022 4:00pm - 5:30pmVirtual MeetingSSD Advisory Board
1661184000August 22, 2022 4:00pm - 5:30pmVirtual MeetingSSD Advisory Board
1650988800April 26, 2022 4:00pm - 5:30pmVirtual MeetingSSD Advisory Board
1644926400February 15, 2022 12:00pm - 1:30pmVirtual MeetingSSD Advisory Board
1637065800November 16, 2021 12:30pm - 2:00pmVirtual MeetingSSD Advisory Board
Documents & Reports

Get SSD Details

Visit the SSD overview page to learn more about the benefits and impact of SSD. View resources below to stay up to date on the SSD details.

TitleDescriptionType
Special Service District Estimated Budget and Expenditures

This series of pie charts provide estimated allocations of the SSD funding for each sector of the trail along with a breakdown of funding by expenditure type.

PDF
Special Service District Fact Sheet

Finishing the Loop: Key Facts About the Special Service District Proposal

PDF
Special Service District Benefits

The Special Service District will provide many benefits, such as $50 million in additional Affordable Housing funding, 50,000 new jobs near the Atlanta BeltLine, and more.

PDF
Trail Completion: Special Service District Plan

The proposed timeline, by segment, of trail completion with the Special Service District proposal.

PDF
Members

Meet Our Members

The Atlanta BeltLine Special Service District Advisory Board is made up of a range of stakeholders representing various communities, governing bodies, and neighborhood groups. We are very appreciative of the time and energy they generously give to help make the Atlanta BeltLine vision a reality.

SubareaNameBusiness/Apartment NameType
1Judy WalkerMore for Less AppliancesCommercial Property Owners & Small Business Operators
1Adam ParkerMET Atlanta | CarterCommercial Property Owners
2Chantell GlennPittsburgh Yards/UA Associates I LLCCommercial Property Owners
2Moses CarrollFitSquad StudiosSmall Business Operators
2Jeff DelpCarver Market, Community Grounds and MagnoliaCommercial Property Owners & Small Business Operators
2Adrienne Johnson Capitol View ApartmentsMultifamily Rental Property Residents
3Johnson Bazzel BeltLine & Boulevard | 1015 Boulevard | Middle Street PartnersMultifamily Property Owners
3Kendi BeyahTrestletree Village Apartments Multifamily Rental Property Residents
4Charles YoungParkside | Gateway Capitol View | 55 Milton | 982 Memorial Drive | Prestwick DevelopmentMultifamily Property Owners
4Jetha Wagner The Wesley Townsend | 915 Glenwood Apartments | The Argos (under construction) | Avila Real EstateMultifamily Property Owners
5Johnny MartinezGeorgia Beer GardenCommercial Property Owners & Small Business Operators
5Julie SprinklePonce Park | AMLI ResidentialMultifamily Property Owners
5Theresa Pringle Block Loft ApartmentsMultifamily Rental Property Residents
6Akissi StokesWUNDERgrubs, LLCSmall Business Operators
6Malloy Peterson Selig EnterprisesCommercial Property Owners
7John Barton120 Ottley | 165 Ottley | 225 Ottley | 251 Armour | 255 Ottley | Northwood InvestorsCommercial Property Owners
7Brett Duke The Atlantic Brookwood | City View Apartments | Morningside Courts | The Atlantic Loring Heights | Atlantic Pacific Real EstateMultifamily Property Owners
8John Dwyer KEMRONSmall Business Operators
8Krista Pittard-McMichen The Sentimentalist Bridal ShopSmall Business Operators
8Amy KnopfPonce City Market | Westside Provisions | Southern Dairies | JamestownCommercial Property Owners
9Beverly Dabney K&K SoulfoodCommercial Property Owners & Small Business Operators
9 Andrew Kern Inland Tract | COMPLEX | Westside Paper | Third & UrbanCommercial Property Owners
10Michael WilliamsEXIT Reality West MidtownCommercial Property Owners & Small Business Operators
10Regina BaileyAshley Collegetown Apartments Multifamily Rental Property Residents