North Avenue MARTA Plaza Enhancements
Project Categories: All Projects Public Art Parks + Plazas Placemaking
05/21/24
The North Ave. MARTA station opened in 1981. Today, the station serves about 15K transit riders each day, in addition to 25K people who live in, work in, or visit venues within a short walk of the facility. Reshaping the experience on the plaza outside the North Ave. MARTA station for a diverse group of users will deliver a range of community benefits.
Transforming Underused Concrete into a Gathering Place
The plaza – situated at Ponce de Leon Ave. and West Peachtree St., currently experiences limited activity, presenting an opportunity for increased community engagement. Soon, it will become Midtown’s newest outdoor public gathering spot, anchoring the south end of Midtown with a performance stage fabricated from a shipping container, community events, a vibrant mural created by a local artist, and more.
Midtown Alliance's proposal was selected out of a pool of 170 applicants to receive a $40K grant from the Project for Public for Spaces, funded by Niantic, for plaza enhancements and community-based programming at the North Ave MARTA station plaza.
Community Engagement Crystallized Vision for Performance Space
Throughout the two-year engagement, the Project for Public Spaces team has been central to orchestrating partnerships and framing the community vision for the North Ave. MARTA plaza’s future. They convened a series of onsite meetings with Midtown Alliance, MARTA Artbound, and community members to co-author a shared vision for the plaza’s future. In these discussions, strong interest emerged for a multi-use outdoor destination that can draw people in and build on Midtown’s identity as a hub for the arts.
Plaza Enhancements
Staff worked with a local designer and fabricator to develop a concept for a performing arts stage for the plaza made from a shipping container.
A partnership with Norfolk Southern and their artist-in-residence, Atlanta based American-Ecuadorian multidisciplinary visual artist Carla Contreras, delivered a mural for the container and a portion of the station façade.
What's Next
With the enhancements complete, future plans include partnering with local arts organizations to develop a schedule of events that appeals to broad audiences.
Make plans to attend a free community launch party event to open the plaza on Wednesday, June 12. The event will feature a variety show, food trucks and more.
Project Partners:
Midtown Improvement District, MARTA Artbound, Project for Public Spaces, Niantic, Norfolk Southern, Carla Contreras, Atelier7