The Grant Park community is working with Park Pride and other community organizations on a vision plan for the Historic SE Quadrant of Grant Park. Through the Park Visioning process neighbors are learning about their collective and current needs and desires for this beautiful part of Grant Park. The outcome of park visioning is a new, community-supported park vision plan that can be used for advocacy and fundraising.
Thank you to all in the Grant Park Community who reviewed preliminary plans for the Historic SE Quadrant of Grant Park. Concept plans were on display at Park Pride’s booth during the Summer Shade Festival on August 25 and 26. Steering Committee members, as well as the Visioning Team from Park Pride, were on hand to answer questions and listen to ideas, thoughts, and opinions. We got 124 feedback forms and are well on our way to creating a vision plan that reflects the community’s wishes.
For those who were not able to stop by our tent, we are publishing the plans here and asking for your input!
Will you give your input and ideas to make the
park’s concept plan the best that it can be?
Park Pride’s vision plans are detailed tools that communities can use to fundraise and advocate for positive change in their parks. Because of the community input that goes into the visioning process, a vision plan reflects broad community support for the proposed improvements, which is fundamental for attracting investment and initiating successful park redevelopment.
Both plans include:
- Reconfiguration of the corner of Boulevard and Atlanta to include bollards between traffic turning the corner and pedestrians, clearly marked crosswalks and pavers to signal entry into park and a pedestrian zone, seat walls around entry columns to provide level planting beds, recommendations for clearing and organizing the sidewalks for pedestrian priority.
- Removal of asphalt surface parking lot, regrading to eliminate soil compaction and soften grades to more naturalistic slopes
- Retain trees of significance in what is now the surface parking area by minimizing grading in their root zones:
a. 21” maple, #2717
b. 17” red maple, #2726
c. 16” sycamore, #2721
d. 35” white oak, #2731
e. All trees between Boulevard first tier of existing parking
f. Trees along lower (western) existing parking area retained, # 2671, 2672, 2673, 2674
- A permanent and aesthetically pleasing screening solution between Zoo Atlanta and this quadrant of the park
- Relocation of eastbound Atlanta Avenue MARTA bus stop, addition of a shelter for riders
- Addition of soft walking trails through the wooded edge to make use of this space birding and nature walks
- Planting of native grasses on sloped embankments of Fort Walker to discourage foot traffic and prevent erosion
- Rolling curb and firelane protected by moveable bollards between zoo entrance and driveway into Gateway parking structure
- Clear pedestrian connections from Historic SE Quadrant of Grant Park to western/northern quadrants
- Period-correct lighting along paved carriageway
Concept 1:
Details of Concept 1 include:
- Widened sidewalk along Atlanta Avenue to 10 feet
- Added park benches along the length of the carriageway road, now only for use by non-motorized vehicles (except for service)
- Added seating along woodland trail including a stone ‘council ring’
- Hillside connecting walkway between Atlanta Ave and the carriageway road
- In the former parking lot, curving system of walkways surrounding a lawn interspersed with existing and next generation canopy trees
- At south entrance to Gateway parking structure, a roundabout for drop-offs/pick-ups (similar configuration at the Sage parking facility/Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Alley of trees to shade sidewalk between oval and vehicles entering parking structure and provide a visual buffer in front of Gateway parking structure
- Current driveway into parking lot removed to increase area for canopy trees
Concept 2:
Concept 2 includes:
- A split sidewalk along Atlanta Avenue to allow greater separation from traffic
- Added extended curving park benches along the length of the carriageway road, now only for use by non-motorized vehicles (except for service)
- More footpaths through wooded area than Concept 1
- Hillside connecting walkway between Atlanta Ave and the carriageway road
- In the former parking lot, system of walkways crossing a lawn area interspersed with existing and next generation canopy trees
- A central fountain or water feature that provides the relaxing sound of water in the park
- A mass daffodil planting as a children’s memorial garden (see daffodilproject.net)
- No drop-off or pick-up zone at the south vehicular entrance to the Gateway parking structure
- The current drive into the surface parking lot retained but access restricted to pedestrian/non-motorized/emergency vehicles. Alley of trees to shade both sides of this bollarded drive.
Provide Feedback:
The feedback period for the proposed designs for the Historic SE Quadrant of Grant Park has closed.
I prefer the 1st concept — simpler/cleaner use of space. Will Zoo Atlanta fix their loading dock facility by removing the bunch of hand-me-down trailers and other temporary looking stuff — better still more it off site.