On the Move: CIDs in North Metro Altanta

Infrastructure improvement has long been a cornerstone of the work done by Community Improvement Districts (CIDs), and while that work continues, mobility projects that build connections and improve quality of life are now sharing center stage. As one historic road construction project ends, the Perimeter, Buckhead and Alpharetta CIDs are creating new ways of moving around north metro in the form of new parks, paths and trail extensions.

When work began on the Interstate 285 at Georgia 400 interchange project around 2017, it was the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), according to Ann Hanlon, executive director of the Perimeter CIDs. Fast forward eight years and about $800 million later, and the scope of that project is about to be eclipsed.

“2025 was big for us because it marked the completion of the 285 at Georgia 400 interchange project, but it’s like after all those years and all that money, it feels anticlimactic now, but it was huge,” says Hanlon. Perimeter CIDs are made up of the Fulton Perimeter CID in Sandy Springs and the Central DeKalb Perimeter CID. “Now as we look forward, that [project] will soon be in the rearview mirror, and we’re looking toward two more megaprojects coming to the top half of Metro Atlanta.”

Highway Megaproject: Rendering of the Georgia 400 express lanes that will be added within the next seven years. Photo credit: Contributed

Construction in the form of tree cutting has already begun on four new dedicated toll lanes on Georgia 400; two lanes heading southbound, two lanes heading northbound. Unlike the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes that run through both Interstate 75 and Interstate 575, the new lanes on Georgia 400 are not reversible, Hanlon says.

“Construction is expected to be completed within the next seven years at a cost of approximately $2 billion,” she says. “It’s a state project, but it’s critical to us because that is bringing workers into the Perimeter.”

About 100,000 workers come into the Perimeter market on a daily basis for work, approximately 50% of whom are coming from the North Fulton/Forsyth County corridor, Hanlon says.

“We are hopeful MARTA is able to add a transit component to that project,” she says. “Bus/rapid transit running in the new lanes built on 400 would provide dedicated, dependable [public transportation] in and out of the Perimeter market.”

Next up will be express lanes on I-285.

“The plan currently is [that] two lanes are to be constructed in both directions, east and west, along the top end of 285 from the I-20/285 interchange in Cobb County all the way to the I-20/285 interchange in DeKalb County,” Hanlon says. “It’s a similar effort as the Georgia 400 Express Lanes. The toll lanes will be built by a private developer who will collect the tolls.”

In the first move toward relieving traffic congestion on I-285 coming into the Perimeter, GDOT is expected to select a contractor for the project this “spring/summer,” Hanlon says.

Collaborative Projects

Making Connections: PATH400, a 5.2-mile biking and pedestrian greenway that runs along Georgia 400 in Buckhead, could one day stretch north to Sandy Springs and south to the Beltline. Photo credit: Contributed

CIDs are districts in which commercial property owners voluntarily tax themselves to pay for a wide variety of improvement projects, including road construction, landscaping, transit services and public art. CIDs often collaborate with each other and with government agencies to bring projects to fruition.

One such project that’s creating a lot of excitement in the region is PATH400, a 5.2-mile biking and pedestrian greenway that runs along Georgia 400. Located in Buckhead, the 10- to 14-foot-wide multiuse trail connects to neighborhoods, retail and office parks and gives residents and visitors a new and safe way to move around the area. Plans are for it to eventually go as far north as Sandy Springs and as far south as the Beltline.

“PATH400 is being built by the Buckhead CID,” Hanlon explains. “We’re working with Sandy Springs to have it connect into the Perimeter, into our CID, and the great news is it’s funded. The city received grant funding to construct the project and will be working to build it out over the next few years. We’re hoping to contribute funding for lighting and landscaping. The south end of the trail will connect to the Beltline, so one day you could legitimately walk from the King and Queen buildings in Sandy Springs to the Beltline. That’s huge. When it’s all said and done, it’s going to be pretty amazing.”

New Leadership, Status Updates

In January, Katharine Kelley took the helm as chief executive officer of the Buckhead Coalition and the Buckhead CID. “This community is woven into the fabric of who I am as a Buckhead native and resident, and I am energized by the opportunity to help shape its future,” says Kelley. “Our mission remains focused on driving transformative infrastructure and public space projects that engage our community and contribute to the success of the greater Metro Atlanta region.” Kelley previously served as president of Green Street Properties. Across her 30-year career, Kelley has led the development of more than $2 billion of properties while working at Jamestown, Post Properties, Newport and Green Street. Her portfolio of work includes various mixed-use projects in Atlanta such as Ponce City Market, South Downtown, Post Riverside (now MAA Riverside) and Glenwood Park.

Contributing to a Successful Region: Jim Durrett, the recently retired CEO of Buckhead CID, stands by new CEO Katharine Kelley on a balcony overlooking Georgia 400, near the site of the Lenox Road bridges. Photo credit: Stan Kaady

Jim Durrett, the CID’s longtime CEO is retiring on March 6. He says he’s proud of what the CID has accomplished under his 17-year tenure, which includes “an awful lot of infrastructure improvement to make it easier for people to navigate the Buckhead CID whether in an automobile or on public transportation or on foot or on two wheels.”

In January, the finishing touches to the first section of the Lenox Road Complete Safe Street project began with the installation of new lighting along the corridor for cars and pedestrians. Landscape installation is scheduled for late March. “Then we’re going to put a final 1.5-inch asphalt topping on the road in April,” he says. “We removed almost the entire roadbed to make a more substantial and lasting road.”

The Lenox Road project was broken up into “bite-size pieces,” Durrett says, noting that section two, which focuses on adding larger sidewalks, ramps, staircases and additional lighting from Peachtree Road to Phipps Boulevard is in the engineering and design phase now, while section three will address the section of Lenox Road between Phipps Boulevard and Piedmont Road to improve connectivity and pedestrian safety at the Lenox Road/Georgia 400 Interchange. Section three, which is also in the engineering and design phase, will include an elevated bridge for pedestrians and bicycles. In the future, it could be the gateway to HUB404, a 9-acre green space that could one day be built above Georgia 400 and MARTA’s Buckhead Station. Construction of Lenox Road Complete Safe Street section two is expected to begin in the first quarter next year, while construction of section three is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2027, according to Durrett.

Future Planning: Rendering of HUB404, a proposed green space that could one day be built above Georgia 400 in Buckhead Photo credit: Contributed

Creating improved and alternative means for moving around Buckhead also boosts the bottom lines of local businesses, restaurants and Lenox Square. In September, Simon Property Group announced Sean Carroll has been appointed to serve as Lenox Square’s new general manager. A native Georgian, Carroll succeeds longtime general manager Robin Suggs, who retired after 31 years in the role.

With nearly 15 years of experience at various Simon properties, at Lenox Square Carroll will oversee day-to-day operations, retailer relations, marketing efforts, leasing, business development, security and customer service. Carroll’s hiring comes after the shopping center announced 18 new retailers and restaurants. The changes at the mall seem to be mirroring those of the region.

“Over the next probably four years we are going to completely transform Lenox Road from East Paces Ferry at the Lenox MARTA station all the way up through Peachtree, across Georgia 400 to Piedmont,” says Durrett. “The district was formed to take on the transformation of Peachtree from essentially a traffic sewer into a complete street for people and we’ve done that. From that has come a desire to transform more of our corridors into complete streets for people and I am proud of that.”

True North 400 CID is also prioritizing complete street programs, and in December, the Alpharetta-based CID completed the Kimball Bridge Gap project. Begun in the fall of 2023, the project, officially known as the Kimball Bridge Road Corridor Multimodal Gap Connection, is located along Kimball Bridge Road between North Point Parkway and Georgia 400 and bridges the gap between the city of Alpharetta’s Kimball Bridge Road widening project and GDOT’s bridge replacement over Georgia 400. The 450-linear foot multimodal shared-use path is parallel to the roadway.

Design in Progress: Section two of the Lenox Road Complete Safe Street will add larger sidewalks, ramps, staircases and additional lighting between Peachtree Road and Phipps Boulevard. Photo credit: Contributed

“Because of where GDOT had to end their project and where the city’s project ended, it created the Kimball Bridge gap, where nice wide lanes turned into smaller lanes before becoming wider again,” says True North 400’s new executive director Kristin Winzeler. “Aesthetically and operationally it just didn’t work very well. True North spent $1.2 million to build out that connection. You can’t tell where each project ended because it’s one continuous improvement.”

According to Winzeler, the CID has received “a lot of really good feedback” on the project, which gives employees of nearby Jackson Healthcare sidewalk access to the many retail, restaurant and entertainment venues in the area, including Avalon.

“Several businesses in that area have been very happy with that improvement,” she says.

Accessibility and Visibility

Making connections is also the goal behind one of the CID’s most ambitious projects, the Encore Greenway Park and Gateway. Located at North Point Parkway and Encore Parkway, the park and greenway will be a new access point to two of the area’s largest trail systems – Big Creek Greenway and the Alpha Loop.

Ambitious Undertaking: Kristin Winzeler, executive director of True North CID, stands with CID staff and board members at the groundbreaking of the Encore Greenway Park and Gateway, above. A rendering of the project is illustrated below. Photo credit: Contributed

“This is right across from North Point Mall,” Winzeler says. “The Big Creek Greenway is one of our most popular amenities, and that amenity in that area is somewhat hidden … behind some trees, and there’s an odd small road to get  there. If you don’t know it’s there, you’ll miss it.”

Previously, the Big Creek Greenway was just a place to exercise, according to Jackie Tyson, founder of Bike Alpharetta, a nonprofit advocacy group. Now, there’s access to shopping, restaurants and housing.

Continuous Improvement: The Kimball Bridge Gap is a multimodal path connection located along Kimball Bridge Road between North Point Parkway and Georgia 400. Photo credit: Contributed

“I run errands on the greenway all the time,” she says. “I use it as an artery to get to the bank or a store, and I don’t have to use a car. I just zip down the greenway to stay off North Point Parkway.”

According to Winzeler, the CID committed $1.5 million to the $9.2 million project, while the Alpharetta City Council approved funding the difference. The current construction phase includes sewer line work, grading for retaining walls and more. The Encore Greenway Park and Gateway is expected to open by the end of this year.

“This will be a brand-new connection that is easily accessible,” she says. “That visibility is really important.”

In an effort to increase its impact, last year the CID launched the True North 400 Bus Shelter Program as part of a “quick win” initiative that is already paying dividends.

“We built five upgraded shelters in Alpharetta as a part of this program last year, and the first shelter in Roswell is going in [this year],” she says.

The CID chalked up additional quick wins last year with some pedestrian improvements along North Point Parkway and Windward Parkway, Winzeler says.

“We enhanced that intersection and added a pedestrian median in the middle,” she says. “We fixed some of the timing in crosswalks as well.”

Quick Win: The True North 400 Bus Shelter Program includes five upgraded shelters in Alpharetta and one being constructed in Roswell. Photo credit: Contributed

A third project, also completed last year, was the Alpha Loop connection between Lakeview Parkway and Morrison Parkway. Winzeler says the connection was “kind of a missing piece” of the loop.

“It’s right across from The Gathering development, which was approved by the city of Alpharetta and is under construction,” she says. “[The CID] approved $610,000 for those three projects.”

The Gathering is a collection of single-family homes and townhomes located less than a mile from downtown Alpharetta and Avalon. The development includes a community garden, pond, green spaces, an exercise loop and integration with the Alpha Loop. Plans also call for a future commercial development on the site.

The North Metro CIDs’ ability to find innovative solutions to improve mobility and increase connectivity make them a vital contributor in creating the vibrant, thriving communities they serve. 

From interstate improvements to new and improved bridges, sidewalks, trails and paths, the CIDs of North Metro Atlanta are making it easier for people to get around.