Piedmont Park Conservancy reveals renovation plans for iconic Atlanta greenspace
The Piedmont Park Conservancy CEO Doug Widener, took Channel 2's Jorge Estevez for an early look at some of the renovations planned for the area.
With $3 million worth of initial renovations, Piedmont Park is ready to kick off the work, but the best part about it for the organization is that the feedback to make changes came from those who enjoy the park most.
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A tent full of people gathered for their love of Piedmont Park and to learn more about what's growing in the 200 acre space.
Channel 2's Lori Wilson and Estevez got to see what's coming next, from charity walks to arts festivals.
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'We are really transforming this part of the city,' Widener told Wilson and Estevez.
The renovation plans include adding miles of trails to creating a welcoming experience and building more usable space.
Widener said to 'Imagine this being filled with people experiencing nature,' while showing where a storage unit would become a visitor center for the Atlanta Botanical Garden, or how a northern part of the park will go from empty greenspace to an amphitheater.
Most of last year, the Piedmont Park Conservancy took feedback from almost 10,000 people for ideas on how to update Piedmont Park.
The things most requested were better up-keep of the park, more ways to explore nature and adding more activities, like pickle ball courts, sand volleyball courts, more basketball courts and a field for people with different abilities.
Other improvements include removing part of a shopping center at Monroe and Piedmont.
'We have this once in a lifetime opportunity to add green space to our city's most visited park,' Widener told Channel 2 Action News.
Some changes are also coming to Lake Claireamere, one of the park's most picturesque places.
'It's that iconic view that we all recognize well,' Widener said.
Plans for the area call for clearing the brush, adding water friendly trees and building boardwalks.
'Imagine walking all the way around and experiencing this aquatic ecosystem up close and personal,' Widener said.
All of the changes planned for the park were funded by thousands of dollars in donations from people who want to make a difference for generations to come.
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