Business group says ‘time for renewal’ coming to downtown Atlanta.

The World Cup is coming to downtown Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium in four years and federal funds are finally being invested in “The Stitch,” a long-term vision to connect the historic downtown to downtown.

With opportunities like these, it’s an exciting and busy time to be downtown, said AJ Robinson, president of Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Development District. Robinson spoke at a July 27 town hall sponsored by private businesses. The town hall was held by the Chick-fil-A College of Fame.

“There’s a lot of work to do, a lot of work to do,” Robinson said. But hopefully these coming years will be ones of renewal and exciting, new things.

World Cup

In the year When the World Cup comes to the city in 2026, Atlanta will be on the world stage just as it was in 2016. As it was when it hosted the Centennial Olympic Games in the summer of 1996. The anticipation and planning that comes with hosting a major international sporting event is an exciting experience, Robinson said.

“But it can be an incredibly productive time,” he said. “So in the next three or four years, we need everyone to focus on this idea so that we can make our city look much better because … this is a great opportunity for Atlanta to be exposed, like the Olympics again.”

Mercedes-Benz Stadium stands within walking distance of three major downtown projects: Centennial Yards, the 50-acre, $5 billion redevelopment of The Gulch into a sports-entertainment district; Newport RE’s South Dwntwn, adjacent to Centennial Yard, includes the redevelopment and reuse of 46 buildings spanning six blocks. and the redevelopment of four blocks around Underground Atlanta. The Five Points MARTA station next to Underground Atlanta is getting a $150 million makeover.

Voters recently approved a $750 million infrastructure bond and transportation sales tax renewal to fund street maintenance, new sidewalks, bike lanes, public safety and park improvements. Those improvements are on track to begin soon and officials are watching the clock to meet the 2026 deadline, City Council President Doug Shipman said at City Hall. He said that showcasing Atlanta’s culture and art scene during the World Cup is also a priority.

“This will be the North Star for us,” Shipman said of the World Cup.

“What are we going to do in four years, how are we going to get there?” It will be a calendar item we call. “And how do we make the city not just what we want to present to the world, but what we want for the next generation?”

With visitors from around the world coming to Atlanta to watch championship football, the city should benefit greatly from the expected revenue.

“The World Cup coming up in four years is a big deal,” Shipman said. “Each World Cup match has the economic impact of 1.5 Super Bowls. After a month we will have four to six matches after four years.

Shipman did not provide a figure. The NFL says a Super Bowl brings up to $500 million to the host city, although some economists disagree.

The seam

Over the years, Downtown has seen many transformational projects, such as Centennial Park and now Centennial Yards, Robinson said. He said CAP’s years-long vision for The Stitch — a project that would partially bridge the Downtown Connector through the park — is “the next big thing.”

“The seam really creates a front yard for Downtown and Midtown and ultimately brings it [the neighborhoods] We’re back together like it was in the 50s,” Robinson said. “We really believe it will serve the community well and create a strong connection between downtown and downtown.”

Robinson was excited about the project. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg mentioned the project when The Stitch last year received a $900,000 grant from the US Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure for Sustainability and Equity (RAISE).

“We got national attention,” he said. “It only took us 20 years.”

A full-time development manager was recently hired for the project, Robinson said. CAP is asking for additional federal funding from President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure package. The package includes $1 billion to reconnect communities divided by federal highway projects in the 1950s.

U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams successfully advocated for more funding to reconnect neighborhoods.

“This is the type of project that is eligible for big dollars that could come down from the federal government,” Robinson said.

Plans for The Stitch are to unify all areas of the city using interconnected parks, plazas and walking trails in a series of high-rises that encourage transit-oriented development, including affordable housing.

The project will create the I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector on a new, ¾ mile platform on 14 acres of the Civic Center MARTA hub between West Peachtree Street and Piedmont Avenue.