ATLANTA: In his final two press conferences, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed revealed plans for a USD 26 million Phase One of the future Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry and a USD 100 million plan to expand Piedmont Park and the Atlanta Botanical Garden.
At the center of these monumental projects is internationally recognized landscape architecture and planning firm, HGOR. Adding to their portfolio, which also includes Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Piedmont Healthcare of Atlanta and Turner Broadcasting System Headquarters, HGOR has developed solutions to park, campus, community, urban and mixed-use spaces in 34 states and six countries and received over 80 planning and design awards.
The City of Atlanta tasked HGOR with developing a comprehensive vision and Phase One design for Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry. Slated to open in 2019, the park will provide Atlanta its largest gathering space, highlight the new quarry lake and showcase expansive views that connect through a carefully designed system of walkways and trails. Phase One of the future Westside Park at Bellwood Quarry will include an elaborate gateway entrance at the intersection of Johnson Road and Grove Park Place and trails leading to the grand overlook area for views of the quarry-turned-reservoir.
Located at the corner of Piedmont Road and Monroe Drive, the Piedmont Park expansion will enable the city to create an enhanced gateway entrance to the park, connection to the Atlanta BeltLine, improved pedestrian trails, additional open greenspace and forested land. HGOR worked with the City of Atlanta and the Piedmont Park Conservancy, on a pro bono basis, to help to make the case for this important acquisition and provided early vision concepts for the Northern Gateway.
"Having served on Piedmont Park Conservancy's board for 12 years, I believe these two projects will be tremendous additions to Atlanta's greenspace and will help shape and define our city for generations to come," said HGOR founding principal, Robert Hughes.
Led by a team of five principals, HGOR is responsible for the master planning and design of transformative built environments including premier park projects like Grant Park Gateway Project, Liberty Plaza and Atlanta Memorial Park. Together, they connect the built environment to the natural environment by designing "the space between" for the human experience.
