James March-April 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 57
ince 1990, few places in the country have grown like metro Atlanta.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the
explosive growth of the Atlanta
region also saw the rise of Community Improvement Districts (CIDs)
throughout the area. Established by
the state in the 1980s, they are one
of many tools available to redevelop
old or abandoned commercial districts into revitalized communities. A CID is a defined geographic area
where most commercial property owners link together
and pay extra property taxes to help fund public improvements, ranging from something like a new park
to an upgraded infrastructure like a revamped stormwater management system.
If you live in metro Atlanta, chances are there is a
CID near you in nearly every county. Whether you are
in Downtown Atlanta near the Gold Dome, along Fulton
Industrial Boulevard, from Kennesaw to Sugarloaf, old
neighborhoods have since been revitalized and new
neighborhoods have been vitalized thanks to CIDs. This
piece highlights the work of a number of these CIDs.
Buckhead CID
The CID can be a critical tool everywhere, even for
seemingly one of the most developed and wealthy portions of Atlanta like the Buckhead CID led by Executive
Director Jim Durrett. Buckhead is currently amid a major
“Complete Safe Street” project, designed to make the
area more pedestrian and cyclist friendly. The project is
split into three sections, with Section 1 underway now
and expected complete by November, and Sections 2
and 3 to start later this year.
The focus of Section 1 will be the Lenox Boardwalk,
an urban linear park that includes a multiuse trail along
Lenox Road between the Lenox MARTA Station and
Peachtree Road. This wide boardwalk will enhance
visual aesthetics of the area while creating a better connection between existing businesses.
Section 2 will enhance pedestrian infrastructure and
overall appearance starting at Peachtree Road and continuing to Phipps Boulevard. Section 3 also picks up at
Phipps Boulevard, running along Lenox Road to Piedmont
Road. These sections lead to some of Buckhead’s top-rated
shopping centers and a major part of the commercial core.
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