ATLANTA — A new bike park project is coming to Atlanta's Westside Park, thanks to an $8 million donation from the Chestnut Family Foundation.
Rob Brawner is the executive director of The Atlanta Beltline. He told 11Alive the acres of grassy land at Atlanta's largest park will look a lot different.
"Atlanta is actually one of the least-parked cities in the country," Brawner said. "Building new green spaces like this at Westside Park, particularly in communities that haven't seen this type of investment—this is going to be a world-class amenity."
The new project will include mountain bike trails of different levels, a pump track, a bicycle playground, jump lines, a skills course, hiking trails and a start-area overlook.
"People learn how to really get introduced to mountain biking or BMX, or even adaptive cycling," Brawner said. "If you're a person with disabilities, you can practice your skills here."
Long-time resident Larry Riley and he and his son Nelson go to the park almost weekly.
"Will this additional bike trail and projects that they're doing here—will that increase the housing costs is what I'm concerned about," Riley questioned, pointing to the new neighborhood being built right across the street from Westside Park.
Brawner said he's dedicated to keeping residents like Riley around.
"There's such a huge commitment to affordable housing as part of these Atlanta Beltline, as well as programs like our legacy resident retention program, which is helping low-income homeowners stay in their homes," Brawner said.
While Nelson said he was not quite ready to ride a bike yet, Riley said he's hoping his future to do so is aligned with seeing the project through.
"Overall, I think it's a good thing, but I just want people who live here in the neighborhood and the people who have been here for a long time to be able to stay here and enjoy it too," Riley said.
The first phase of the project is set to start toward the end of 2025.