Brookhaven City Council approved a development agreement Tuesday, Oct. 13, allowing the city to receive a $588,168 grant for design and other preliminary costs of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Interstate 85.

The agreement with the Decide DeKalb Development Authority advances the Peachtree Creek Connector Bridge, which would link Emory University’s Executive Park campus with the Peachtree Creek Greenway.

Decide DeKalb approved the grant July 23. The council’s October vote authorized the city’s agreement to receive the funding, according to Brookhaven’s meeting wrap-up.

The grant comes from the Briarcliff North Druid Hills Tax Allocation District, or TAD, and covers approximately 31% of eligible design and other soft costs, according to Decide DeKalb.

Emory payments anchor financing plan

The grant is one component of a financing arrangement that also includes Emory University infrastructure payments and city funding through its Special Service District.

Emory agreed to approximately $15.8 million in scheduled infrastructure payments over 10 years beginning in 2027, according to the Brookhaven Brief’s review of the agreement.

Under that arrangement, the Emory Musculoskeletal Institute property would receive a full property-tax abatement, with scheduled infrastructure payments continuing through 2036.

The agreement followed a dispute over the North Druid Hills Special Tax District. In 2025, Brookhaven increased that district’s rate from approximately 6.4 mills to 12 mills to help finance the bridge. The city reduced it to 6.45 mills effective July 1, 2026. The agreement caps the rate at 8 mills through 2036, the Brookhaven Brief reported.

The city has said residential property taxes will not fund the bridge’s design or construction.

The project’s final cost remains unsettled. Atlanta News First reported an estimated total of $18 million to $24 million in July. The Brookhaven Brief’s review of the Emory agreement, however, identifies construction costs alone of up to $24 million, with Brookhaven responsible for other costs, including design, financing and overruns.

A dedicated crossing over I-85

The proposed bridge would carry a 14-foot-wide multiuse path between West Druid Hills Drive and Executive Park, providing a route for pedestrians, cyclists and people using mobility devices.

The area’s existing pedestrian crossing is a 42-inch-wide sidewalk along the North Druid Hills Road interchange bridge, according to Decide DeKalb.

The city’s project description calls for stairs and an elevator plaza connecting to the Greenway’s second phase. A trail and ADA-accessible ramp would connect the bridge to Executive Park South.

Brookhaven has advanced the project since its 2020 Comprehensive Transportation Plan recommended the connection. Michael Baker International is designing the bridge in coordination with the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Construction targeted for 2028

Decide DeKalb’s July announcement anticipated completion of right-of-way acquisitions, easements and environmental permitting in 2027, followed by final design and GDOT authorization.

Construction is tentatively expected to begin in 2028 and finish in 2029. Brookhaven is expected to seek additional TAD funding for eligible construction costs in late 2027; that award has not been approved.

The next Brookhaven City Council meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 6:30 p.m.