Workers, shoppers and residents along the GA-400 corridor will soon have a direct pedestrian connection between the North Point area and the Big Creek Greenway after the Alpharetta City Council on Monday, Aug. 17, approved a $15.9 million design-build contract for a critical mile of the Alpha Loop trail.
Contractor Reeves Young will build the approximately 1-mile section running from Encore Parkway to Morrison Lake at Haynes Bridge Road. Based on the 18.5-month contract timeline, the section would be completed around early 2028.
Once finished, the segment will connect to an existing Alpha Loop section that crosses over Georgia 400 into the North Point area, where developer Jamestown and mall owner New York Life are proposing a sports entertainment district anchored by a proposed 20,000-seat NHL arena. The full City Council is scheduled to vote on that project at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, at City Hall, according to the North Atlanta Star.
The trail also will provide access to an Alpha Loop section that connects to the Big Creek Greenway, according to Appen Media.
$9 million in savings
City officials initially estimated the trail section could cost nearly $25 million. Director of public works Pete Sewczwicz said the price was reduced through phasing and a land swap with the Georgia Department of Transportation, saving more than $9 million.
Three funding sources cover the $15.9 million contract: $10 million from the city's transportation sales tax, about $4 million from a 2022 parks bond fund and nearly $1 million from the True North 400 community improvement district.
The 12-foot-wide trail will be lit and feature a plaza at Encore Parkway. It will run through property adjacent to Georgia 400.
Six miles and counting
About 6 miles of the Alpha Loop have been completed. Councilman John Hipes, who has served on the council since 2018, said no segments had been finished when he first took his seat.
"When the initial price tag of $25 million was put on the 'Alpha Link,' I thought it would be forever known as the missing link," Hipes said at the Aug. 17 meeting.
Councilmember Katie Reeves said the city is close to reaching the greenway connection.
The True North 400 CID committed funds to the related Encore Greenway Park and Gateway project at North Point Parkway and Encore Parkway in October 2024, with construction beginning in February 2025.
The Aug. 24 council vote on Jamestown's North Point entertainment district proposal is the next major decision point for the corridor. The Alpharetta Planning Commission recommended approval 4–3 on Aug. 6.
