Fresh images: Historic Decatur Square’s overhaul to break ground this week (atlanta.urbanize.city)

submitted 1 day ago by UrbanizeAtlNewsBot@yall.theatl.social to c/atlantanews@yall.theatl.social

0 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Fresh images: Historic Decatur Square’s overhaul to break ground this week Josh Green Mon, 04/14/2025 - 13:33

Historic Decatur Square’s first makeover since the early 1980s is officially a go.

The initial $8.5-million phase of Decatur’s Town Center Plan 2.0 project, an initiative put together by the city and its Downtown Development Authority, is scheduled to break ground during a public celebration beginning at 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

They’re calling the first phase of work The Square ShakeUp. Its goal is to open up, reshape, and better utilize what’s long been the epicenter of activity in Downtown Decatur.

The Square ShakeUp plan calls for expanding the size of the Square and its greenspaces, scrapping the large (and ill-placed) bandstand near MARTA’s Swanton Way entrance with a larger and modernized performing arts stage. Other changes will see a standalone building with permanent public restrooms, an open car-free plaza, a new children’s play area, and larger open spaces in general.

The project has been in the works since ideas were initially put together in early 2022.

Overview of planned changes in Decatur’s Town Center Plan 2.0's $8.5-million first phase. Courtesy of Decatur Downtown Development Authority

View of the planned new stage at night in Historic Decatur Square. Courtesy of Decatur Downtown Development Authority

The phase-one changes will be key to the Decatur Town Center Plan 2.0 adopted by the City Commission in 2023 as a means of adapting downtown to its growing population.

The project is being paid for with SPLOST II funds through DeKalb County and is scheduled to take 10 months to complete. Decatur’s goal is to have the expanded Square fully reopen prior to Atlanta’s month of FIFA World Cup matches beginning in June next year.

“After extensive conversations with our residents and local business owners, it became clear changes were necessary to support the type of programming that keeps Downtown Decatur vibrant,” said Angela Threadgill, Decatur’s assistant city manager for community and economic development, in an announcement today. “[W]e hope it sends a clear message that we aren’t resting on our laurels when it comes to making Decatur the best it can be for all stakeholders.”

Reps tell Urbanize Atlanta the full Town Center 2.0 project will have two phases overall, and the second phase will undergo a similar process of public engagement and design development prior to groundbreaking, all pending funding sources.

The second phase of Decatur Square’s overhaul is expected to include a splash pad, outdoor pavilion, and additional seating and amenities. No timeline for those aspects has been established, per the DDA.

Plans for the car-free North McDonough Street Court at night. Courtesy of Decatur Downtown Development Authority

Plans for the standalone public restroom building by day. Courtesy of Decatur Downtown Development Authority

Throughout phase-one construction, access to all businesses on and around the Square will remain open to the public, though small sections of the Square’s public space will be closed.

Access to specific areas will be reopened as they’re completed, according to DDA officials.

Swing up to the gallery for more context and the most recent renderings illustrating what’s set to come in Decatur over the next year. More details on The Square ShakeUp and its expected impacts on downtown can be found here.

The reimagined, opened-up plaza planned as part of The Square ShakeUp.Courtesy of Decatur Downtown Development Authority