Midtown's Ponce Triangle Plaza Opens Monday

In a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday afternoon, the completion of the Ponce Triangle Plaza capital improvement project is to be celebrated by Midtown residents along with city and local leaders.

The transformation of the intersection of Ponce de Leon Avenue and Peachtree Street into a signature plaza space was led by the Midtown Alliance in partnership with the City of Atlanta, and the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The Ponce Triangle Plaza is the latest embodiment of Midtown Alliance’s broader effort to create public gathering spots, punctuating Peachtree St. with pocket parks, plazas and active uses to enhance the community and sense of place.

The nine-month capital improvement project was completed just in time for the start of the 100-year anniversary of The Ponce Condominium, which is located at the intersection at 75 Ponce de Leon Avenue. 

The ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 5:30 p.m. followed by refreshments at The Ponce. Want to stop by? E-mail debra@midtownalliance.org with your RSVP. The ceremony will also include holiday lighting provided by the Atlanta Botanical Garden – bringing the magic of the Garden Lights to more of Midtown.

Plaza highlights include:

• Improved pedestrian amenities
• Revitalization of the public art piece marking the turning point of the historic Peachtree-Ponce de Leon Springs trolley line, originally installed in celebration of the 1996 Olympics
• The unearthing of original Atlanta streetcar trolley tracks, which inspired patterns for the new granite pavers

The plaza is just one portion of the Midtown Cityscapes project that is targeting creating a pedestrian-friendly Midtown community. With the financial support of the Midtown Improvement District (MID), the Midtown Alliance has embarked on a multi-year, $82 million public improvements program for ten major corridors, encompassing more than 25 miles of improvements.

The goals of Midtown Cityscapes are to improve sidewalk conditions and traffic flow, add lights and trees, create urban parks and green space, and promote pedestrian usage. An update on the capital improvements as supplied by the Midtown Alliance is attached with this article. Some of the future projects include:

• Spring Street – Spring Street will receive over $1.9 million of grant funding as part of ARC’s Last Mile Connectivity Program. The funding will go towards Phase I of the project between Peachtree and 17th Streets, including pedestrian upgrades to the currently dangerous intersection at the Buford Highway ramp. The overall project includes a lane reduction, wider sidewalks, handicap upgrades, street trees and pedestrian lighting.

• District-wide Pedestrian Safety Improvements – Also just awarded over $1.4 million as part of ARC’s Last Mile Connectivity Program, the project includes district-wide improvements to promote walkability, pedestrian safety and overall connectivity, including seven new traffic signals, new sidewalks and two-way conversions of key east-west streets.

• Juniper Street – Juniper’s transformation into Midtown’s signature “green street” is funded with construction planned to start in late 2013. Last year it was announced that the project would receive a $3.4 million construction grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission. Embracing the principles of Greenprint Midtown, the project will implement a buffered dedicated bike lane, new sidewalks, lighting and sustainable stormwater improvements to the entire corridor between 14th Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue.

• Bridge Enhancements at Peachtree Street (North end), 10th Street and North Avenue – The Midtown Alliance and its design teams are working with the Georgia Department of Transportation to explore various pedestrian and bicycle enhancements to these key gateway bridges.