Emory petitions to join Atlanta, signalling potential boost for Clifton Road MARTA

Emory University has officially filed a petition to become part of the City of Atlanta, according to a release from the school.

Annexation would make the university the sixth major institution of higher learning within city limits—and it could potentially open the door to funding for the long-proposed Clifton Road light rail system.

Following the vote last year by Atlanta residents to approve funding for MARTA expansion, Emory’s inclusion in the city would allow money to flow to the Clifton Road project, which could service the university, the CDC, Cheshire Bridge, and possibly even the DeKalb Farmers Market.

Funding for the portion that runs through unincorporated DeKalb County would have to come from another source.

Emory

The door to annexation was opened earlier this year, when Emory University cleverly purchased a house adjacent to city limits that backs up to the campus.

That acquisition fulfilled the requirement that all areas seeking annexation be contiguous with the existing city.

If all goes according to plan, the annexation could quickly move through city hall and come up for approval by fall.

• Emory University files petition for annexation into City of Atlanta [Emory University]
• MARTA’s Clifton Road expansion could hinge on one house [Curbed Atlanta]