The Stitch, the plan to build a park over the Downtown Connector and reconnect parts of Atlanta's urban core that the interstate has divided for generations, has picked up something every big civic project eventually needs: an organization whose whole job is getting it built and keeping it running. Downtown Atlanta Inc. reports that Stitch Inc., a newly formed nonprofit, is in place with its inaugural board of directors and signed agreements with the City of Atlanta and Invest Atlanta to implement The Stitch Master Plan.
Why a separate nonprofit
Big park projects tend to live or die on governance. Designing a park over an interstate is one challenge. Paying for upkeep, scheduling programming and caring for the grounds for decades is another. Stitch Inc. is set up to handle that whole arc, overseeing everything from construction and operations to the long-term care and programming of the future park. Downtown Atlanta Inc. calls the formation of the group, the board appointments and the city agreements major, key steps in moving The Stitch from vision to reality.
Who is on the board
The nine inaugural directors come from banking, hospitality, development, utilities and government:
- Ron Alston, senior vice president, not-for-profit and government banking, Truist Bank
- Tom Boyer, general manager, The Westin Peachtree Plaza
- Jason Dozier, Atlanta City Council, District 4
- Craig Jones, representing International Market Centers
- Patrick Kassin, development partner, Woodfield Development
- John McColl, executive vice president of development, Cousins Properties
- Nichole Miles-Sullivan, Atlanta region executive, Georgia Power
- Granvel Tate, vice president of real estate operations, Invest Atlanta
- Rian Smith, vice president and chief counsel, The Integral Group
Downtown Atlanta Inc. says the board brings together leaders from across business, government and the downtown community, reflecting the collaborative spirit that has always been at the heart of The Stitch.
Leadership
As part of the transition, Jack Cebe stepped into the role of CEO and president of Stitch Inc. Downtown Atlanta Inc. frames the move as a way to provide continuity and leadership as the project moves forward.
The team has kept growing since. In a separate update, Downtown Atlanta Inc. reported that Stitch Inc. added Caroline Ballard Leake as vice president of communications and development and Lee Harrop as vice president of design and delivery. That update also lays out the scale of what is coming: Phase One will include a five-acre park over the Downtown Connector alongside eight miles of streetscape and transportation improvements, and the project is advancing toward shovel-ready status in 2027.
What comes next
Downtown Atlanta Inc. is candid that the work ahead remains ambitious. The group points to partnerships, community conversations and organizational steps like this one as the building blocks toward an urban core that is more connected, accessible and welcoming for everyone. It is the kind of quiet, procedural milestone that tends to come before shovels, and we will keep following the project as funding, design and construction updates arrive. Project updates are posted at TheStitchATL.com.
Sources: Downtown Atlanta Inc. and Downtown Atlanta Inc.
