Katharine Kelley stepped into the CEO role for the Buckhead Coalition and the Buckhead Community Improvement District in January 2026, arriving just as a slate of multimillion‑dollar streetscape and transportation projects shifts from planning to shovels and checkbooks. Front and center is the Lenox Road Complete Safe Street project, a three‑part overhaul that combines a Lenox boardwalk shared‑use trail with wider sidewalks and a planned elevated pedestrian‑and‑bicycle bridge at the Ga. 400/Lenox interchange. On the active list as well are Piedmont Road's complete‑street rebuild and a Wieuca Road roundabout near Phipps, as the district works to knit MARTA, PATH400 and Buckhead's retail hubs more tightly together.
New CEO Steps Into A Busy Agenda
According to a press release from the Buckhead Coalition, Kelley was named to the position in October and formally began leading both organizations in January 2026. The Buckhead CID's project page lists Lenox Road Complete Safe Street, Piedmont Road Complete Street and the Wieuca Road @ Phipps Boulevard roundabout among its active initiatives, signaling that the new leadership is inheriting a full delivery schedule rather than a blank slate.
Lenox Road: Phases, Funding And Timeline
Phase One, the Lenox Boardwalk between the Lenox MARTA station and Peachtree Road, is on course for full completion in April 2026, as reported by Business Journals. Later stages include an elevated pedestrian‑and‑bicycle bridge over GA‑400. The CID won a $10 million Safe Streets and Roads for All grant to help build that span, and Rough Draft Atlanta reported that the overall bridge package has been pegged at roughly $40 million. Construction crews are already visible near Lenox Square as boardwalk work proceeds, and Urbanize Atlanta reports that state and local grants have been layered into the funding mix.
Other Projects And The Bigger Plan
Beyond Lenox, the CID's project list includes the Piedmont Road complete‑street redesign and the long‑planned HUB404 highway‑capping park, projects the organization says are intended to knit parks, transit and retail together. Planners and CID leaders have repeatedly described connecting MARTA and PATH400, reducing short car trips and improving pedestrian safety as central goals for this suite of projects, as noted by Georgia Trend.
Kelley's Priorities And Next Steps
"I am thrilled to step into this leadership role with two organizations so committed to Buckhead's progress and vitality," Kelley said in the announcement of her appointment. She inherits a delivery pipeline already moving from design into active construction and ongoing grant pursuit. Local reporting and the Buckhead Coalition release indicate that the coming months will focus on finishing the Lenox Boardwalk, advancing the bridge design and pushing HUB404 planning forward, as Kelley prioritizes delivery and stakeholder coordination, according to Urbanize Atlanta and the Buckhead Coalition.
