Downtown Boosters Push To Save $150M In Federal Funding For The Stitch
Funding for a $700M infrastructure and economic development project in Downtown Atlanta is suddenly up in the air.
The Stitch would create a 17-acre public park from a deck above the Interstate 75/86 Interchange that runs through the heart of Atlanta. The project was awarded $157.6M by the U.S. Department of Transportation under its Neighborhood Access and Equity Grants Act last year, funding that would be revoked under President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Pulling the federal funding “will delay the project — likely for years,” Central Atlanta Progress President A.J. Robinson said in an email sent to Downtown Atlanta residents and stakeholders, seeking their signatures for a letter being sent to Georgia's congressional delegation.
“This is a crucial piece of Downtown’s revival,” Robinson wrote. “At the 11th hour, the federal government is threatening to claw-back $150M awarded to The Stitch— the very funding needed for construction to begin.”
Last year, the DOT awarded the grant to Georgia to build a 4-acre section of The Stitch over the Downtown Connector between Courtland and Peachtree streets. The new park, which would be built south of the historic St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and north of SunTrust Plaza, would also include enhanced pedestrian connections to MARTA's Civic Center station.
The funding was derived from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act's Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program, which provided more than $3B to community projects in underserved and economically disadvantaged areas.
The federal budget bill was passed by the House of Representatives last month, and it is now being debated in the Senate. It would also revoke a $64.9M grant that would fund the connection of the Atlanta Beltline with the Flint River Trail, the AJC reported.
Jack Cebe, The Stitch development manager for the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, told Bisnow that the clawback of the grant money blindsided the organization, whose stakeholders own properties along the proposed route of the Stitch.
“It’s pretty unprecedented for awarded discretionary transportation grant dollars to be rescinded,” Cebe said. “I don’t think we were expecting this threat.”
CAP's letter outlined The Stitch's projected benefits, including $61M in new annual property taxes in proximity to the project, 4,500 jobs between 2026 and 2036 during its construction, and $1.4B in economic output.
“The Stitch creates an unprecedented opportunity for private property owners to leverage infrastructure investment and increased market demand for residences, hotels, retail, and office spaces to support their redevelopment goals,” CAP said in the letter.
The letter is addressed to Gov. Brian Kemp, Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, and the state's U.S. Representatives, including Reps. Buddy Carter, Hank Johnson, Nikema Williams, Lucy McBath and Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Cebe said the letter already had 125 Downtown business and residential signatures as of Wednesday morning.
“We received, I would say, overwhelming support,” Cebe said. “Everyone we spoke to on both sides of the aisle understands the importance of [The Stitch’s benefits],” he said. “But it’s anyone’s guess what will happen and the outcome of this budget reconciliation process.”
Robinson told Bisnow on Wednesday he remained confident that even if the money is repealed, the state and city government — which are chipping in a large chunk of the funding — will find a way to ultimately finish The Stitch, including possibly by tapping alternative federal dollars.
“People forget that a lot of big projects take longer than usual,” Robinson said. “There are projects we’ve done here in Atlanta that have been worth it and just take a little bit longer. So I'm optimistic that it will happen.”
