MARTA seeks public comment on history-focused review of Five Points Station project impacts

MARTA is seeking public input on a history-focused environmental review of its Five Points Station makeover, a $206 million project that previously stirred controversy about timing and design.

While the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review covers a broad range of potential impacts, it is focused on mitigations for destroying the canopy and plaza of the 1979 station at 30 Alabama St. The mitigations — which are required for the authorization of federal funding — are proposed as documenting the pre-demolition architecture and installing panels bearing historical information.

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation was among the consulting parties who recommended those mitigations following a state determination the station is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The Georgia Trust also would have gone further, according to spokesperson Traci Clark Rothwell. 

“Given the chance, the Trust would advocate for the entirety of the MARTA system and stations [to] be reviewed for National Register status as a whole,” she said. “That was not done in this instance.”

The NEPA review covers various other topics under such laws as the Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts, though MARTA claims no unusual impacts in those categories. The NEPA review is one reason MARTA says it is now unlikely that the station makeover will be complete by Atlanta’s hosting of some World Cup soccer tournament games in 2026. The station will remain in operation.

Five Points is a major Downtown train and bus station where all four of MARTA’s rail lines interconnect. It is also the historic heart of Atlanta, where railroad lines gave birth to the city in 1836. The station is among the first in the MARTA system and has not been significantly updated. MARTA says the station is suffering major maintenance issues and the current canopy and plaza do not serve modern functions. The plan includes a new canopy that “allows for ample light and ventilation,” says MARTA.

The station makeover is two separate projects in terms of planning and funding. One is underground improvements to the platform areas, which are funded locally. The other is the above-ground “Transformation Project” involving the canopy and plaza. That project involves $25 million in federal funds, which is triggering the NEPA review for various environmental, historical and socioeconomic impacts.

A schedule in MARTA’s draft NEPA environmental assessment report shows site preparation starting in February and demolition of the canopy in March or April. Construction would run from July 2024 through September 2026. Some of the design work would continue through the demolition period. “Changes during the final design process may require an environmental re-evaluation,” says the draft report.

Earlier this year, the MARTA Board of Directors and the Atlanta City Council raised questions about the solidity of the budget and the way the design handles buses and pedestrians. MARTA has updated the plans and is moving forward, with the NEPA review as the next step.

Central Atlanta Progress (CAP), a private nonprofit of business leaders, is among the influential stakeholders in the Five Points area that has been involved in the public and private discussions. CAP said in a written statement that it still has concerns about the project.

“Public and stakeholder engagement is a cornerstone of the NEPA process, yet MARTA has failed to gain support from key Downtown stakeholders,” said the CAP statement. “Stakeholder feedback has centered on improving the pedestrian experience, creating a vibrant public realm, and reducing bus idling at the station. Yet, the renderings included in the NEPA document reinforce the condition that is there today — buses are aggregated around a new canopy, resolving the station’s flooding issues but doing little to improve the overall urban design of the area. The station design fails to serve the project’s original goal as outlined by the City of Atlanta: to create a more approachable station and better rider experience.”

A historic resources impact report commissioned by the Federal Transit Administration earlier this year concluded that the station is not eligible for National Register listing, meaning that no mitigations to the demolition would be required. But the Georgia Historic Preservation Division (HPD) — which offers formal comment under the federal review process — disagreed. 

HPD said the canopy and related areas qualify for “exceptional significance” under the categories of architecture, community planning and development, engineering, and transportation. The historic value is both local and statewide, HPD said. Among the reasons was the station’s own negative impact on Downtown’s historic areas that were demolished for its construction.

Because of the National Register eligibility, MARTA must mitigate the loss of the historic structures. One proposal is to document the existing architecture in line with the standards of the Historic American Buildings Survey, an archive maintained by the Library of Congress. 

“Additionally, MARTA will make arrangements for the development and installation of interpretive panels regarding Five Points Station and the history of the surrounding area,” says the draft report. “The purpose of the sign is to inform the public about the Five Points Station and

its construction and development and provide historical context as one of the first public transit stations in Atlanta. An additional panel will be used to inform people about the surrounding area and other nearby historic features.”

The FTA, HPD, and “other consulting parties” will sign a legal agreement about the mitigations.

The mitigation proposal originated in an October meeting among MARTA, HPD and FTA officials. It was presented last month in another meeting with representatives from the Georgia Trust, the Atlanta Urban Design Commission, Central Atlanta Progress, the Downtown Improvement District, the Atlanta Preservation Center, Neighborhood Planning Unit M and the Atlanta Downtown Neighborhood Association. 

“By the time we were included in consultation, there was only the opportunity to comment on the proposed mitigation,” said Rothwell at the Georgia Trust.

“MARTA appreciates input from all stakeholders, including the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation,” the transit agency said in response. “MARTA will consider the needs of the system, potential funding sources and continue to consult with jurisdictional partners as station improvements are needed.”

MARTA says it expects the NEPA review to take a month and to result in a finding of “no significant impact.” At that point, site preparation work would begin.

The draft environmental assessment report can be read on the MARTA website or viewed in person at the Fulton County Library central branch, the Five Points Station Ride Store, and MARTA headquarters. 

MARTA also plans to hold an “open house” about the report and plan on Dec. 14 from 4 to 7 p.m. on the concourse level of Five Points Station. 

Comments can be provided by email to publichearinginfo@itsmarta.com; by phone at 404-848-5299; or by U.S. mail at MARTA Five Points Transformation, Attn. Tracie Roberson, 2424 Piedmont Road NE, Atlanta, Ga., 30324-3311. 

Update: This story has been updated with comment from Central Atlanta Progress and MARTA.