Proctor Creek Trail Extension

Connecting Communities to the Chattahoochee

The extension of the Proctor Creek Trail to the Chattahoochee River represents an important opportunity to bring historically underserved communities to the River and provide amenities for community gatherings, ecological stewardship and environmental education. This site is also an opportunity for communities from Cobb County and Atlanta to share the River as common ground.

The site selected for the Proctor Creek Trail Extension is surrounded by industrial land uses including the former Chattahoochee Brick Site, as a site of historical significance. The portion of this site bordering the Chattahoochee, including the mouth of Proctor Creek, is considered a sensitive ecological area that is subject to frequent flooding.

The design goals for the Proctor Creek Trail Extension represent a desire to extend the Proctor Creek Greenway to the Chattahoochee River in a way that protects ecologically sensitive areas while educating visitors about the importance of waterway health. In order to achieve this, the Design Team discussed potential site features including outdoor classrooms, overlooks and moments for historical interpretation, extensively with a committee of stakeholders.

The new Nature Center proposed for the edge of Proctor Creek is envisioned as a space that will accommodate a wide range of community-oriented activities. Not only will there be ample space for gatherings of various sizes, but both passive and active recreation will be proposed. The ongoing improvement of the tributary’s health is also a major concern, as it relates to the health of the Chattahoochee and surrounding communities. Rather than constrain and control the banks of Proctor Creek with hard and static, infrastructure, softer edges will allow the creek to respond to seasonal hydrologic flows and storm events.

The Project Team met with stakeholders to discuss the programming potential of the Proctor Creek Demonstration site. Based on those conversations, the programmatic amenities reflected in the design for this site include:

• A Nature Center with amenities geared specifically toward environmental education and inspiring stewardship of the creek
• An interpretive historical walk to recognize the stories of the Chattahoochee Brick site as the Creek passes along the property edges
• A new dedicated bridge for walking and biking across the Chattahoochee, that provides connectivity between Cobb County and the City of Atlanta
• Pedestrian paths and dedicated spaces along the River to observe seasonal changes to the natural context