This document summarizes a project to improve water quality in Proctor Creek in Atlanta through creating a greenway and trails, while addressing issues like flooded homes, pollution, and disconnected neighborhoods. The project will be led by The Trust for Public Land and Emerald Corridor, funded through philanthropy and mitigation banking. It will involve stabilizing stream banks, removing pollutants, and adding stormwater management facilities over the next few years to transform the area and connect communities.

1. “A water quality, greenway and trail
project for Northwest Atlanta.”
PROCTOR CREEK
GREENWAY
Debra Edelson
The Trust for Public Land

2. WATERSHED CONTEXT

3. PROJECT OVERVIEW

4. EXISTING CONDITIONS
o Flooded homes
o Polluted Creek
o Community
disinvestment
o Disconnected
neighborhoods
o Abandoned housing
stock
o Elevated public health
risks
o Skeptical communities

10. TYPICAL SECTION: PROCTOR CREEK GREENWAY

11. PARTNERS AND ROLES
Emerald Corridor, LLC
• Assembles private lands
• Design, permitting and construction of mitigation improvements
The Trust for Public Land
• Assembles public/utility lands
• Creates new conservancy
• Design & construction of trail
• Community outreach
City of Atlanta
• Participation of City land via access agreement
• Long term landowner of assembled and donated lands

12. FUNDING
PROJECT FUNDING:
$50 million total project investment
Trail = 100% philanthropy (TPL)
Creek mitigation = 100% Private capital (Emerald
Corridor)
Mitigation financial mechanism = Credit sales to
parties needing USACE permits. Sales “repay” the land
and construction costs and provide for 7-years of
maintenance.

13. LAND OWNERSHIP
o City of Atlanta 29%
o Emerald Corridor
27%
o Atlanta Housing
Authority 9%
o Other Property 35%

14. Emerald Corridor, LLC
• 7-year monitoring obligation to maintain creek buffer lands and
water quality
Trust for Public Land
• Establishment & incubate new 501 (c) 3 conservancy for day-to-
day management and maintenance
City of Atlanta
• Receives donation of all interests in land
• Provides limited suite of services—ex: emergency
LONG TERM STEWARDSHIP

15. A federal program administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers that utilizes
market forces in the form of credits to incentivize private sector companies to invest in
cleaning up the nation’s streams, creeks and wetland resources.
MITIGATION BANKING

16. IMPLEMENTATION
TECHNIQUES
o Stabilization of stream
banks
o Removal of pollutants,
trash and debris
o Clearing of obstacles
o Channel modification
o Addition of storm
water management
facilities
o Installing devices to
slow water velocity
o Removal of invasive
exotics
o Planting of banks in
appropriate plants

17. PERMITTING, DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION
Step 1
• Due Diligence and Design
• Summer 2010 – Fall 2014
Step 2
• City of Atlanta Review and Approval
• Spring 2014
Step 3
• USACE Permitting
• Spring 2012 – Fall 2014
Step 4
• Stream Bank Restoration
• Spring 2015 – Approximately Summer 2018
Step 5
• Trail and Greenway Construction
• Spring 2015– Approximately Fall 2018
Step 6
• Linear Park Opening
• Portions open in Approximately Fall 2015

18. Emerald Corridor
Long Term commitment to community – headquartered adjacent to
creek
Trust for Public Land
Leading community education and outreach efforts regarding project
implementation, trail connectivity and public access.
City of Atlanta
Collaborative outreach effort in coordination with TPL and EC
 Sample of recent meetings:
– NPU G, NPU J, NPU D, West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA), Proctor Creek
Stewardship Council, Community Building Coalition of Northwest Atlanta (CCNA)
COMMUNITY OUTREACH

19. VISION & COMMITMENT
“The revitalization of Proctor Creek will transform
neighborhoods throughout northwest Atlanta. With the help of
federal and community partners, including The Trust for Public
Land, this effort will spur economic development, connect
communities with new recreation opportunities and green space,
and integrate critical investments in storm and wastewater
management. This public-private partnership demonstrates
Atlanta’s commitment to becoming a top-tier sustainable city.”
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed

20. Take-Aways
• Innovative P3 model for funding
green infrastructure
• Achieves multiple goals
• Chattahoochee River and system gets
cleaned-up
• New connectivity to local trail system

21. For more information about the
Proctor Creek Greenway Program:
Debra.Edelson@ tpl.org
404.873.7306 x227
Thank you.