MARTA is moving forward with the $150 million renovation of Five Points station in downtown Atlanta.
On Thursday the MARTA board’s planning committee voted to award a $15 million contract for architectural and engineering design services for the project to Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The full board is expected to consider the contract next month.
Renovating Five Points is a top priority of Atlanta’s More MARTA program, made possible when city voters approved an additional half-penny sales tax for transit expansion in 2016. Five Points is the hub of MARTA’s rail network, and rehabilitating the station will be a complicated undertaking.
Assistant General Manager Marsha Anderson-Bomar said the project will involve “deconstructing” and rebuilding parts of the existing station, building a new plaza and accommodating future development above the station.
“All this work needs to be done while we keep the station fully activated and safe, still a good environment for our customers,” she said.
Anderson-Bomar said MARTA picked Skidmore, Owings & Merrill because of its experience with similar projects. One example: The company was involved in the Hudson Yards development above active rail lines in New York City.
MARTA expects to award a construction contract for the project in October. Work would begin in the spring and set to end in 2025 — in time for Atlanta to possibly host a World Cup soccer semifinal game in 2026.
“Yes, we can deliver this project on time,” Anderson-Bomar told the board. “We will deliver this project on time.”
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