The Atlanta Beltline has purchased a shuttered Buckhead nightclub where it plans to build a key segment of the Northwest Trail.
On Thursday, Mayor Andre Dickens and Atlanta Beltline Inc. President and CEO Clyde Higgs announced the acquisition of the Elleven45 Lounge at 2110 Peachtree Road NW. The Beltline acquired the roughly one-acre site for $11 million.
The controversial nightclub was the scene of a fatal shooting in the early morning hours of May 12. Two people were killed and two wounded. One arrest was made in the shooting. The city of Atlanta shut the nightclub down months later after a Fulton Superior Court judge ruled the venue a public nuisance.
The nightclub property was needed to complete Segment 2 of the Northwest Trail located near Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, the largest employer in the Beltline Planning Area.
This segment is a 0.7-mile stretch being built outside the railroad corridor starting at the southwest corner of Bobby Jones Golf Course, running east along Colonial Homes Circle, and then passing under Peachtree Road. A construction date for Segment 2 is not yet known.
“The Beltline is crucial in our mission to create safe, healthy and connected neighborhoods across Atlanta, and it’s one of the nation’s most transformative infrastructure projects, supporting economic, social and recreational needs for our residents and visitors,” said Dickens in a news release.
“This acquisition and expansion will help us continue to make Atlanta the best place in the nation to raise a family and to start a business.”
Added Clyde Higgs, president and CEO of Atlanta Beltline Inc.: “This property purchase brings the Beltline closer to realizing its vision of a fully connected, accessible and vibrant infrastructure, further enhancing the economic, recreational, and environmental benefits for Atlanta’s residents and visitors.”
Construction starts on first segment of Northwest Trail
The purchase of the former Elleven45 Lounge announcement was made at the same time as officials said construction of Segment 1 of the Northwest Trail has started.
This 0.8 segment will start at Peachtree Park Drive at the entrance to Peachtree Park apartments, cross over Peachtree Creek via a suspension bridge, and then end at the Kinsey Court cul-de-sac.
Once completed, the Northwest Trail will extend 4.3 miles from Blandtown to the Lindbergh/Morosgo neighborhoods, linking neighborhoods and landmarks such as Ardmore Park, Collier Hills, Lindbergh City Center and Underwood Hills.
The trail also goes along Tanyard Creek, the Atlanta Memorial Trail and Bobby Jones Golf Course and connects to the Northeast Trail at the Armour-Ottley commercial district and the Lindbergh Center MARTA station.
The entire 22-mile Beltline trail loop is on track to be completed by 2030. Earlier this year, the mayor and the Beltline announced that by spring 2026, 16.3 miles of continuous trail will be completed, in time for Atlanta to host the FIFA World Cup games, in addition to 1.6 miles of spur trails.
