Bringing the Garden
to the Beltline
In its first major property expansion since its founding in 1976, the Garden has announced plans for an addition along Piedmont Avenue and the Atlanta Beltline.
The Garden plans to expand to the north by nearly 8 acres along Piedmont Avenue, placing it contiguous with the Atlanta Beltline. The addition would make the Garden the city’s first cultural institution directly accessible from the popular 22-mile loop.
This will be the Garden’s first major property expansion since its founding in 1976.
“This transformational project is aimed at creating a more walkable, bikeable and livable urban environment, with reduced reliance on automobiles as Atlanta’s population continues to grow,” said Mary Pat Matheson, the Garden’s Anna and Hays Mershon President & CEO.
Guests will be able to enter new garden spaces directly from the Beltline, including a visitor center, water features, year-round display gardens and exhibition areas. While design is still in the early stages, concepts include placing the Garden’s iconic topiary-like mosaiculture sculptures on permanent exhibit, where they can be enjoyed by Beltline passersby.
“Imagine the Phoenix, a 20-foot-tall planted bird sculpture that represents our city’s endurance, rising over the Beltline to the delight of all who walk by the Garden,” Matheson said.
Most of the required land, which will expand the 30-acre Garden by about 25 percent, has been acquired over the last several years. The Garden hopes to complete the project by 2026, in time to celebrate the Garden’s 50th anniversary and welcome the world to Atlanta for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The project represents an historic opportunity to grow Atlanta’s greenspace and preserve it for generations to come. It’s our time to bloom, Atlanta. Join us!
FAQs
Why expand the Garden to the Beltline?
The movement to create more greenspace and shed our reliance on vehicles is gaining momentum as the Atlanta Beltline connects more of our neighborhoods, people and communities. Dining, shopping and workplaces are now a stroll or scooter ride away in many parts of the city, but Atlanta’s remarkable cultural institutions have remained separate from the Beltline’s accessible path—until now.
How does the Garden expansion connect to Piedmont Park?
Piedmont Park Conservancy plans to expand Piedmont Park, which, along with the Beltline, would create a convergence of the city’s most popular greenspaces, offering both the Garden and the park as easily accessible amenities for those who work, live and play along the 22-mile Beltline.
When will the project be completed?
The Garden hopes to complete the project by 2026, in time to welcome the world to Atlanta for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Has the Garden already acquired all the property it needs for expansion?
A key parcel for the Garden is a site occupied by Public Storage on Piedmont Avenue. The Garden has also purchased a site at Monroe Drive and Kanuga Street where Public Storage plans to relocate. The new location requires no change in zoning (the property is zoned for industrial use), creates no increase in storage facilities on the Beltline or in the Piedmont Park vicinity, and will not generate additional vehicle traffic in the neighborhood. Public Storage has hired a local architect familiar with intown neighborhoods as a consultant to design a building in keeping with the neighborhood character.
When will the project break ground?
Development of the site, which includes the current Public Storage location on Piedmont, will begin upon completion of its new building on Monroe.
How much will it cost and how will the Garden fund the project?
Funding for the project includes a transformational lead gift of $25 million from the Cox Foundation, a $5 million gift from former Garden Trustee Carol Tomé and a $5 million gift from The UPS Foundation, all for acquiring the property. The Garden will later launch a capital fund-raising campaign for developing the property.
What does this project mean for Atlanta?
The Garden expansion will be a giant leap forward toward the walkable, bikeable Atlanta that major employers want and that our residents deserve. And through expanded connectivity and access, it will add almost endless possibilities for our community. This forward-thinking vision would create a new botanical greenway where the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Piedmont Park and the Beltline all converge.