MARTA’s ambitious plan for turning its easternmost station into a self-sustaining, transit-connected mini city has taken a key step forward.
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners has approved rezoning of 64 acres that encompass Indian Creek station to allow for Transit Oriented Development uses at the final eastern stop on the system’s East/West line, according to MARTA officials.
The Indian Creek site will be rezoned to MU-4, or a mixed-use high density designation, that MARTA and its DeKalb County partners say aligns with the 2050 DeKalb Comprehensive Plan.
A TOD master plan for Indian Creek calls for more housing density that stresses affordable living options, parks and greenspaces, and walkable areas designed for multiple modes of transportation—all key elements for attracting federal funding support, according to MARTA.
The full scope of the Indian Creek Village vision, with the unrelated Avondale East residential project shown at bottom left. Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics
Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics
When the project’s initial phase might move forward with construction hasn’t been determined, MARTA officials tell Urbanize Atlanta. The goal of a forthcoming Request for Proposals will be to identify a development partner as a first step toward building.
The first phase will include the transit component of the TOD, with a customer parking deck, a new bus facility and MARTA Police precinct, and a transit plaza, plus some residential, food-and-beverage, and small grocery store space. “There will be more info to provide once we have a development partner,” a MARTA spokesperson relayed Friday.
Dubbed “Indian Creek Village,” the nearly 1.7-million-square-foot TOD calls for swapping parking lots just south of Indian Creek station with a dense collection of buildings, greenspaces, plazas, and parking structures, all located just outside the Interstate 285 loop in Stone Mountain. Should it come to fruition as shown in master-planning documents, the project would dwarf all others in MARTA’s TOD portfolio.
The full project calls for 1,600 residential units consuming the vast majority of new development, set among 4 acres of parks and recreation space with a multi-use trail.
Other components: food and beverage (25,000 square feet); retail/grocery and a community center (20,000 square feet each); and office/institutional space (300,000 square feet). The bus transfer facility spanning 45,000 square feet would also be in the mix—along with 3,800 parking spaces in eight different garages, according to a MARTA presentation.
An artful plaza area with tree-like structures called “The Canopy” would be another notable facet.
Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics
Courtesy of MARTA; designs, WSP USA, Perez Planning + Design, Hummingbird, Bae Urban Economics
MARTA general manager and CEO Collie Greenwood called the rezoning decision a “crucial step towards transforming Indian Creek station into a vibrant community hub” in a prepared statement Thursday.
“This project will significantly enhance community connectivity and access to essential services,” added DeKalb County Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson. “The TOD at Indian Creek is a key milestone in our efforts to create a more vibrant and inclusive community.”
Find more context—and glimpses at MARTA's TOD dreams—in the gallery above.
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