Atlanta BeltLine Receives $5M Grant for Trail Development

Patch Staff Report

The James M. Cox Foundation announced on Tuesday a $5 million grant to develop the Atlanta BeltLine's Westside Trail.

The Westside Trail, a three-mile path in the BeltLine’s southwest corridor, will connect four schools and four parks. Hundreds of native trees will line the trail, which will create 40 acres of new greenspace to be used by area residents and visitors. A TIGER grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will cover 42 percent of the project cost. The $5 million grant from the Cox Foundation will go toward a campaign currently underway to raise the additional funds needed to complete the project.

The Atlanta BeltLine is one of the nation’s largest urban redevelopment programs that will provide a network of public parks, multi-use trails and transit along a 22-mile railroad corridor that encircles the City of Atlanta. Upon completion, the BeltLine will connect 45 intown neighborhoods.

“Across the nation, cities are promoting healthy lifestyles through public access to parks and trails, while also stimulating economic development. The Atlanta BeltLine is one of the nation’s best examples of what can happen when public and private sectors work together,” Cox Enterprises Chairman Jim Kennedy said in a news release. “I served as co-chair of the BeltLine’s original capital campaign and am thrilled to see this visionary project come to life. The BeltLine’s completed segments are transforming neighborhoods and connecting people with nature. This grant will help the BeltLine build another important segment on its journey to completion.”

The BeltLine has completed the Eastside Trail, Northside Trail, Southwest Connector Trail and the West End Trail. The completed trails are home to local art installations, outdoor recreational groups and neighborhood festivals. The BeltLine recently received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Overall Excellence Award for Smart Growth Achievement. The award is given for creative, sustainable initiatives that help protect the health and the environment of our communities while also strengthening local economies. The Overall Excellence Award is the highest national honor bestowed by the EPA.

"Jim Kennedy was among the early believers who have helped the Atlanta BeltLine begin to transform our city," Atlanta BeltLine Partnership Board of Directors Chair Charlie Shufeldt said in the release. "This latest investment will once again inspire other private donors, both new and returning." 

This contribution joins previous grants totaling $7.5 million from the James M. Cox Foundation and Sarah and Jim Kennedy to support the BeltLine. As part of his commitment to conservation, Kennedy launched Cox Enterprises’ national sustainability program, Cox Conserves, in 2007. Since that time, the company and its affiliated foundations have invested more than $100 million in sustainability and conservation through operations projects and grants to support environmental nonprofits. Cox’s national environmental partners are American Rivers, Ocean Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land. Cox partners with local environmental nonprofits in the communities it serves across the nation.

The James M. Cox Foundation is named in honor of Cox Enterprises' founder and provides funding for capital campaigns and special projects in communities where the company operates. James M. Cox was Ohio's first three-term governor and the 1920 Democratic nominee for president of the United States.