MARTA is set to start working on the Five Points Station renovation in May after 10 months of delays, officials said Thursday afternoon.
The announcement comes after months of disagreements between MARTA and the city of Atlanta over how to proceed with the project to transform the transit agency’s central station.
In February, MARTA said the city intentionally stalled approval of the demolition permits needed to begin work. Public records obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution appear to show that city officials, at the direction of Mayor Andre Dickens, tied permit approval to the completion of an audit into MARTA spending.
Dickens denied holding up permits and said the city wanted the work to start.
“Anyone that told you we were holding or delaying permits was lying to you,” Dickens said last month.
Demolition permits were approved after an AJC story about the delays published in mid-March. City staff said their approval of the permits while the audit issue was still pending proves the two issues weren’t tied together.
Other permits related to the project are still pending but are expected to be complete soon, spokesperson Stephany Fisher said.
“We are in active discussions with the city to finalize the remaining permits,” Fisher said. “Our goal is to get construction started and avoid additional costs with delay.”
The $230 million renovation will consist of removing the existing concrete canopy and replacing it with a translucent roof, as well as adding street-level bus bays. It’s being paid for primarily with proceeds from the halfpenny sales tax Atlanta voters approved for transit expansion projects in 2016.
MARTA is at risk of incurring fines of up to $10,000 per day for each day past last July’s planned start.
Work is set to begin May 17, Fisher said. The whole project will take four years to complete.
The station will remain open to trains and pedestrians during construction, though the work will impact some routes.
Station services at Five Points, like the police precinct, lost and found and reduced fare offices, will be relocated, with details to be announced soon, MARTA said.
The station soccer field, the community garden, information booth and federal building tunnel will close during construction.
Restrooms will also close. Passengers can use restrooms at the nearby GWCC/CNN Center, Peachtree Center, Georgia State and West End stations.
Bus service changes
Stops on eight bus routes will be relocated to Forsyth Street: 3, 21, 40, 49, 55, 107, 186 and 813.
Three routes will be detoured through downtown and will no longer stop at Five Points: 26, 42 and 816.
Six routes that previously terminated at Five Points will terminate at Georgia State Station: 21, 42, 49, 55, 107 and 186.
Three other routes will now terminate at King Memorial Station: 26, 813 and 899.
One route, 816, will now terminate at Civic Center Station.
CobbLinc, Ride Gwinnett and Xpress commuter buses will operate as scheduled.
Additional bus rider impacts are expected and will be announced at a later date.
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