Writer: Joshua Andino
2 min read October 2022 — Demonstrating its increasing use of transit-oriented development projects around its system to bolster ridership and revenues, MARTA has opened up Arts Center Station for potential development.
In what is its latest project this year and following its July announcement of similar projects being planned at its Indian Creek and H.E. Holmes stations, MARTA announced that it would open up the six-acre site at Arts Center Station for development. The effort comes as affordable housing remains increasingly elusive across the country and Atlanta, where the area median rent stands at $2,294 a month, according to Zillow.
“Arts Center Station presents a tremendous development opportunity which we hope will enhance our customer experience and ridership, positively influence the neighborhood and add amenities, including affordable housing, which is so desperately needed in Midtown,” said Collie Greenwood, MARTA interim general manager and CEO, in a statement.
The project is the latest in MARTA’s pursuit of transit-oriented development, which seeks to develop housing and other projects near transit corridors to boost MARTA’s short term revenues and help increase ridership throughout the whole system, which has decreased by over 30% over the last decade. As of June there were approximately 54.7 million riders through FY22, falling short of projections by 1.3 million. Rail ridership, however, has exceeded expectations for the fiscal year by about 3.1 million and stands at 25.9 million trips compared to the anticipated 22.8 million.
MARTA will look to develop the space around and above the station between 15th and 16th streets, adjacent to the Woodruff Arts Center and located in the city’s Midtown, which remains one of the most popular spots in Atlanta for new development and has seen a number of new properties announced and break ground, including PMG’s Society Atlanta and the massive Midtown Union mixed-use project
As for the development of the Arts Center Station, MARTA has put out a request for proposals from developers. While there had been plans in 2021 for Cousins Properties Inc. and Integral Group to develop the area, MARTA suspended the project and the companies chose to focus on other projects across the city. While a developer has yet to be selected for the project, MARTA has seen success with other similar projects such at its Kensington, King Memorial and Edgewood/Chandler stations, and the aforementioned plans at Indian Creek and H.E. Holmes. MARTA has pursued a number of projects, each at various stages of planning and development.
Transit-oriented development has emerged over the course of the last decade as a key pillar for continued growth across a variety of cities in the U.S., as increased costs, shifting demographic preferences and increased traffic on roads and highways have made driving increasingly difficult and unattractive. As MARTA continues to pursue its transit-oriented development projects, riders can expect a number of upgrades throughout the system as part of the MARTA 2040 plan, which includes upgrades and additions that include track renovations, system renovations at the Brown Mills Maintenance facility, tunnel ventilation upgrades, potential streetcar and heavy rail expansions, as well as a number of additional updates across the entirety of MARTA’s systems.
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