Atlanta Botanical Garden planning major expansion to Beltline

Atlanta Beltline to get direct garden entry after years The Atlanta Botanical Garden is expanding by 30%, adding eight new acres across Midtown to connect directly to the Atlanta Beltline. The Brief Atlanta Botanical Garden is embarking on an expansion project which will make it directly accessible from the popular Atlanta Beltline. Garden leaders say the project will expand the 30-acre destination by 30 percent, making it the city’s first cultural institution with direct Beltline access. Garden President and CEO Mary Pat Matheson says new features will include a Beltline Plaza right outside the gates, providing space for free programming and other community events. ATLANTA, Ga. - Atlanta is a constantly growing city, so it makes sense that one of its most colorful cultural institutions is growing, too. Atlanta Botanical Garden is embarking on an expansion project which will make it directly accessible from the popular Atlanta Beltline, making it the city’s first cultural institution with direct Beltline access. Garden leaders say the project will expand the 30-acre destination by 30 percent, and is being funded by a $165 million capital campaign called "Atlanta’s Garden Gateway: A Bold Entrance to our Sustainable Future." This morning on Good Day Atlanta, we got a personal tour of the expansion site with Atlanta Botanical Garden president and CEO Mary Pat Matheson, who explained in detail what the project will mean for the Garden and its visitors. Matheson says new features will include a Beltline Plaza right outside the gates, which will provide space for free programming and other community events. There are also plans for a new Visitor Center facing the Beltline, featuring a café, gift shop, and bike parking. Inside the gates, Matheson says visitors will find a Grand Axis, leading them through attractions including the Water Terraces, Walled Garden, and a Foundation Garden. According to the Atlanta Botanical Garden website, the project will result in the addition of more than 800 new trees, resulting in hundreds of thousands of square feet of new tree canopy. As of now, Matheson says the project is expected to be complete by 2029. To hear more from the Garden president and CEO, click the video player in this article. Or you can click over to the Garden’s website here . The Source: Information for this story comes from the Atlanta Botanical Garden website and original reporting by Good Day Atlanta's Paul Milliken. Good Day Atlanta Follow Paul News