ATLANTA -- A nearly $250 million green space planned above lanes of GA 400 in Buckhead has taken the next step toward becoming a reality.
Since May of last year, members of the Buckhead Community Improvement District have been studying whether it would be possible to even build the 2,500-foot long public space. On Wednesday, the Buckhead Community Improvement District board finally presented their plans to the public and voted to approve Part I of the project. It includes a five-month planning and designing phase set to begin in August.
Over the next months, the group said they will be working with project partners to develop a plan to name the park, create a nonprofit entity to manage "stewardship, construction and operations," and look at permitting.
According to the BCID, the idea was to create a "signature park" for the Buckhead community, similar to the likes of Central Park and Bryant Park in New York City and Millennium Park in Chicago.
"A signature park over GA 400 is the opportunity for a great urban park where sufficient open space is simply not otherwise available," the group wrote on its website.
PHOTOS | Here's what the park could look like
Photos: See the plans for a park planned for over GA 400
According to a study by the group, the site of the proposed park sits in a "park desert" and would provide a new green space -- including gardens, a plaza and commons area -- for that section of Atlanta. The development would put residents within walking-distance to several surrounding locations, including Lenox Square Mall, Phipps Plaza and the Atlanta Tech Village.
The plan calls for money from MARTA and hopes to secure funds from private sources such as Special Services District, BCID and philanthropic contributions from foundations, corporations and individuals.
The BCID estimates it would cost between $1.75 to $2 million to operate and maintain the park per year, with plans to raise revenue through sponsorships, event fees, leasing, programming and more.
However, not all involved in the project are full-onboard with the project.
According to 11Alive's partners at the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta City Councilman Howard Shook, Lenox Square General Manager Robin Suggs, and JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead General Manager Tom Boyer voted against the the measure to move forward on the project.
"I feel like today we are making a decision to buy a new car before deciding or not if we can afford it," Shook told the Atlanta Business Chronicle. "I'll be a 'no' from here on out until we have more discussion...For this to move forward, we need to be a team."
Now that the BCID has voted to move forward on the project, construction on the park is slated to begin in 2020, with the goal for the park to be fully-operational in 2023.
PHOTOS | Here's what the area looks like now
