One of the interesting things going on in Atlanta at the moment is the Georgia MultiModal Passenger Terminal (MMPT) project. According to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), the MMPT “will bring together various bus and rail transit services in a centralized downtown Atlanta location. The Georgia MMPT is envisioned as the hub for existing and proposed transportation networks across the state including Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail and buses; Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) Xpress buses; Gwinnett County Transit (GCT); Cobb Community Transit (CCT); Megabus; Greyhound intercity bus; and planned intercity and commuter rail service.”

While the precise location for the MMPT has not been decided yet, the study area is a 119-acre site locally known as “The Gulch,” which is an area of parking and vacant land south of the central business district between Philips Arena and the Five Points MARTA Station. Development of the MMPT is anticipated to provide a catalyst for additional development within the MMPT site and in adjacent locations, filling the void currently created by the Gulch. According to the Coordination Plan for the project, GDOT selected Forest City/INTEGRAL/Cousins (FIC) to build the MMPT and transportation improvements “in part by leveraging the potential for retail, commercial, and residential projects it will receive the rights to develop.”

The Obama Administration has fast-tracked this project, and construction could begin as early as fall 2014. For more detailed information on the site and a general timeline of activities, please see the most recent GDOT MMPT newsletter for October.

– Clifford Lipscomb