Beltline’s Eastside Trail will officially have a gap, but ‘exceptional experience’ promised

For Beltline enthusiasts hoping for a seamless journey from Reynoldstown to Inman Park and beyond this summer—well, that’s officially not going to happen just yet.

Beltline officials had previously said a delay in construction of the Eastside Trail extension is possible between the Edgewood Avenue bridge and DeKalb Avenue. There, North American Properties—the company behind Atlantic Station’s reboot, Avalon, and the upcoming Colony Square transformation—plans to build two mixed-use projects with apartments, retail, and restaurants on opposite sides of the new Eastside Trail.

Building the trail between two construction sites, officials have said, could pose a risk to patrons and the trail itself.

According to the Atlanta Beltline Partnership’s most recent newsletter, the extension is now set to open in June, but “a portion of the trail will remain closed until completion of the development at 670/690 DeKalb (by) North American Properties.”

Completion of the mixed-use projects sounds like a long time. The NAP ventures are moving forward but are navigating the city’s permitting gauntlet, as NAP partner Richard Munger explained in the following statement to Curbed Atlanta:

“North American Properties (NAP) is working closely with the Atlanta Beltline Inc. (ABI) to build an exciting, high quality mixed-use development on the existing environmentally contaminated land between Edgewood and DeKalb avenues.

ABI will take the necessary steps to temporarily route the trail around this environmental cleanup work and the early stages of the development’s construction until the site is safe for public use.

Construction schedules are currently being finalized pending the required City of Atlanta permits. NAP and ABI are committed to delivering an exceptional experience for all of our neighbors and guests who have the opportunity to enjoy this section of the Eastside Trail.”

Early renderings of the NAP projects, as seen at a meeting last year, are filed over here.

Meanwhile, as part of ongoing extension work, the Beltline’s connection to one of the most popular spots along the trail—Krog Street Market—will be closed for nearly a month as the Irwin Street intersection is overhauled. Detours will be in place from March 20 through roughly April 17.

Elsewhere, on a purely great note, plans call for a three-mile segment of the Westside Trail to open this summer, too.

Curbed Atlanta

• Atlanta Beltline’s Eastside Trail construction requires detour—possibly long-term [Curbed]