Did anyone happen to catch this program on Channel 2 (WSB)?
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/24606660/detail.html
A few highlights:
- The reporters compared the Beltline to NYC's High Line, which was featured on a previous broadcast. That project converted an elevated rail line, which was used shut down in the 1980's, into an elevated urban park with views of the Hudson River, the Empire State Building, and the Statute of Liberty.
- There may be a public land trust for some properties along the Beltline, similar to a project in Chicago, where homebuyers get assistance in buying homes in exchange for forfeiting their interest in their homes' eventual increases in value.
- The report featured Charlotte's Lynx streetcar system (which I've seen personally, and which looks like the Strassenbahn in Linz, Austria: arcane reference, I know). The local transit and development personnel in Charlotte reported that use of the light rail greatly surpassed their expectations, and property values of housing near (read: directly upstairs from) the Lynx line "skyrocketed."
- They toured the bottom of the Bellwood Quarry, which will be 300 feet below the eventual water surface; the quarry will store 30-day's worth of water in case of a huge water emergency. Plus, the lake will be the feature of a larger park with trails and a small amphitheater (posted on the Beltline website a while back) that will be 100 acres larger than Piedmont Park (not sure if this is 100 acres more than Piedmont Park now or after the expansion). I'm not familiar with that part of town, but the planners stated that the quarry and park are "a few blocks" from downtown, and 1180 Peachtree was visible from the quarry.
- The report noted that the project could lead to nearly 10,000 jobs in construction, retail, etc., and they interviewed the owner of Rathbun's (presumably the one off Krog on the border between Inman Park and Old Fourth Ward), who is buying property along the project.
- They also provided a timeline for parks, transit, and complete connection of the existing rail lines. Old Fourth Ward Park is underway, along with the city's first skate park, but some light rail could be in place by 2014 (!!). Some walking trails have already opened, although I couldn't tell when or where.
- Notably, Mayor Reed is pushing to accelerate the program, which currently is around 20-30 years long.
- Lastly, there was a breakdown of the cost: more than half from TAD's, roughly one-sixth or one-fifth from federal funds, and the rest from donations, especially from the Cox family, and I believe from Blank. I recorded the program, so I may recheck these facts later, as this is all from memory.
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Beltline TV Special (08.18.2010)
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