Atlanta BeltLine reaches funding goal to complete loop

The Atlanta BeltLine has all the money it needs to finish the final portion of the 22-mile loop around the city by 2030. A $30 million donation from James Cox Foundation will help complete construction on the final northwestern trail.

Atlanta BeltLine Partnership Executive Director Rob Brawner says building the northwest trail will be very different from the existing path.

“We don't have the luxury of being able to use abandoned rail corridors, and actually need to create a corridor using stream banks and utility easements and other street rights of ways,” Brawner said. “And it's just building that corridor, you know, essentially from scratch.”

The past few years, both local and federal funding has gone into developing the BeltLine. The federal government provided $17 million, Atlanta’s special tax district raised over $300 million, and the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation contributed $80 million.

In a statement, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said he views this system of trails as a way to connect the city.

“Thanks to this generous donation from the James M. Cox Foundation, we will be able to complete the full 22-mile loop, bringing the trail’s promise of access, investment and equity to all parts of our great city,” he said. “This is a truly transformative gift that will benefit generations of Atlantans to come.”

Once complete, the BeltLine would connect 45 neighborhoods around Atlanta.