Amtrak Hub

The Atlanta City Council approved a $754.2 million budget for 2023 that includes pay raises for city employees and more funding for public safety. Darin Schierbaum has been named interim chief of the

Schierbaum, a 20-year veteran of the department, replaced Chief Rodney Bryant who retired in June. Dickens said a nationwide search was underway for a permanent replacement for Bryant. More than 60% of voters living in Buckhead do not want the community to secede from the city of Atlanta, according to a poll commissioned by a group opposed to cityhood efforts. Workers at two Starbucks locations – Ansley Mall and Howell Mill Road – have voted to unionize. Another location in Augusta became the first in the state in April.

By Dyana Bagby

The Atlanta City Council passed a resolution in June urging Amtrak to include Downtown in its planned expansion of passenger rail.

Councilmember Jason Dozier introduced the resolution urging Amtrak to consider the rapidly revitalizing Downtown as a new hub.

As Amtrak looks to expand Southern routes including connecting Atlanta to Savannah and Nashville as part of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan, Dozier said the benefits of a Downtown Atlanta Amtrak hub would expand beyond the city.

“We have a lot of private investment projects that are going to be transformative for our city,” Dozier said. “But I thought it was important that we have an opportunity to ensure that there’s federal investment so there’s a transformation of our region.”

Downtown is in the beginning stages of a resurgence. CIM Group is undertaking a $5 billion plan to create Centennial Yards, the massive mixed-use redevelopment of

A 2012 rendering of a proposed Downtown Atlanta transit hub at The Gulch property.

Photo by Mike Armstrong for Amtrak

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Expires 7/31/22 what is known as The Gulch. A passenger terminal on The Gulch site has been floating around since 2012.

Within walking distance of Centennial Yards, Newport RE is nearing completion of its first phase of a planned $500 million redevelopment of South Downtown including adaptive reuse of numerous historic buildings.

Nearby, once-bustling Underground Atlanta could finally see a return to its heyday from new owner Shaneel Lalani, CEO of the Billionaires Funding Group.

Dozier also noted Atlanta’s history is rooted in railroads, including its founding as Terminus, and said an Amtrak hub in the city is a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity.

Atlanta, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country, has a small Amtrak station at 1688 Peachtree Station, between Midtown and Buckhead. The station is on the Crescent line that runs to New Orleans and New York City.