Sandy Springs pledges nearly $11 million if Springway grant bid advances

Sandy Springs City Council approved a $3 million grant bid Oct. 6 for Springway’s riverfront extension, with a nearly $11 million local funding commitment if the project advances to the second application round. The pledge does not wait for a final grant award.

The proposed 1.6-mile Segment 2C would follow the Chattahoochee River from Morgan Falls Overlook Park to an existing sidepath at Grogans Ferry Road. Its January 2025 cost estimate is $13,992,520, including trail bridges, concrete boardwalk and retaining walls.

Georgia’s Outdoor Stewardship Program requires at least 25% local funding, but caps grants in this category at $3 million. Even a full award would cover only about 21% of the trail’s estimated cost, leaving the city and its partners to fund the rest.

The funding plan combines $6,995,775 in city project funds with $1 million from the PATH Foundation and $30,000 from the Sandy Springs Conservancy. Both partner contributions depend on receiving the grant—a later milestone than the one that triggers the city’s local funding commitment.

Another $2,966,745 would still need to be allocated. The adopted resolution places that amount in the fiscal 2028 budget, through capital-budget or impact-fee allocations that council must decide. It commits to the funding plan without making that remaining allocation now.

The resolution’s operative funding clause lists $10,992,250, while the staff funding breakdown totals $10,992,520—a $270 difference the documents do not explain.

The pre-application deadline is Oct. 16. According to the city’s timetable, applicants will be notified in spring 2027; those invited forward must submit the second-level application by May 28, 2027.