MARTA resumed work this week on the long-delayed transformation of Five Points Station, the downtown Atlanta hub where all four of the agency’s rail lines meet, the authority said in a statement.
The first phase of the project, which had been on the drawing board in various forms since 2018, began Saturday with the rerouting of downtown bus routes and the relocation of the station’s customer-service offices. Actual deconstruction of the station’s iconic concrete canopy is expected to begin in early June.
“For 45 years, this station has been the heart of Atlanta’s transit system. It is also the most-photographed piece of public infrastructure in the city. We’re going to make sure it stays that way — but it has to work better.”
— Collie Greenwood, MARTA general manager and CEO
What’s in the plan
The full transformation, which MARTA expects to take about three years to complete at a cost of roughly $230 million, includes:
- Replacing the iconic concrete canopy with a transparent ETFE roof that will let natural light into the station’s central hub
- Adding a public plaza above the bus loop that can be closed for events
- Expanding retail space in the station concourse
- Building a new transit-priority entrance for buses on Forsyth Street
- Improving pedestrian connections between the station and the surrounding downtown street grid
- Replacing aging mechanical systems and adding new elevators
Why it took so long
The Five Points transformation has been planned since at least 2018, when MARTA’s first attempt at a comprehensive redesign was shelved after the estimated cost ballooned past $400 million. The agency spent the next four years redesigning the project and identifying alternative funding sources, including federal RAISE grants and a $100 million contribution from the Atlanta Urban Development Authority.
MARTA broke ground briefly in early 2023 before pausing for additional design work. The full restart was scheduled for fall 2024 but was delayed again by what MARTA called “supply-chain and utility-relocation issues.”
“We are not going to apologize for taking the time to get this right. The stations our grandparents built are still in use today. We need the work we do now to last that long, too.”
— Collie Greenwood, MARTA general manager and CEO
What riders should expect
Riders will see several immediate changes:
- Downtown bus routes are being detoured. Routes that previously stopped at Five Points now stop at a temporary bus loop on Forsyth Street.
- The RideStore, Lost & Found, and Reduced Fare offices have been relocated to a temporary space on Alabama Street.
- The Broad Street Plaza and Peachtree Street station entrances will close at various points over the next year. MARTA has not yet released a full schedule of which entrances close when.
- Rail service will continue to operate normally throughout the construction period, though riders should expect occasional weekend single-tracking.
What’s next
The deconstruction of the existing canopy is expected to begin June 2 and continue for about six months. MARTA says the station will remain open and operational throughout the deconstruction.
The agency plans to release a public dashboard in late June that will track construction milestones in real time.
Elena Vásquez covers city hall, transportation, and downtown development for WACN 21. Reach her at evasquez@wacn21.com.
