Executive-2018-Summer

recently built a model bus stop with a “parklette.” The county transit department was so impressed by it, they moved an existing bus stop to this location. We are also looking forward to some major sidewalk enhancement projects. There are lots of opportunities for landscaping and creating buffers between traffic to increase pedestrian safety and comfort, and enhance the walking environment. The next several years will fund us building many such projects with Special-Purpose Local- Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds allocated to our CID. Q: What challenges does Gateway85 face moving forward? A: Growth is probably our biggest challenge. Population projections say that in 20 years Gwinnett County will gain another 500,000 residents. We want to plan not just for what we want to be today, but what we can be in the future so people have the housing, transportation and the jobs they need. We want all of that to be available here in this district. Right now we also have useable but older building stock. It’s an economic challenge to make the numbers work and make it profitable to those who would come in and redevelop the properties. We are actively working with interested business owners and land developers to come up with creative solutions. Another challenge is the Jimmy Carter Boulevard/I-85 Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI). The DDI wasn’t the ultimate solution to the traffic at that interchange and we know the day is coming when it won’t be adequate. Approvals for improvements take a long time, so we are working now to ensure there is a longer-term solution in place before we desperately need it. Q: What has been your greatest accomplishment at Gateway85 so far? A: One of the greatest accomplishments so far has been the rebranding. It was an intensive process that involved business and property owners, CID members and the community. It was gratifying to work with our staff to roll out the new brand in a positive and significant way for the district. We also garnered $21 million in project funding for the District in Gwinnett’s 2017 SPLOST, which includes a lot of investment in infrastructure over the next five years. That took six months worth of dedicated effort to work with the Citizen’s Project Selection Committee presenting the significance of each of the projects. Q: What should members of the Chairmans Club and Gwinnett County business community be looking forward to in the near future? A: The price of property in this area is highly competitive. Though the opportunities can be challenging, I know there are a lot of commercial real estate developers and business owners up for the challenge. A lot of the time prospective buyers and developers look at rooftop counts and nighttime demographics. We also urge them to consider daytime demographics. We have 36,000 workers and 3,600 companies in this area that are growing and thriving. Two companies recently expanded and could have chosen to relocate anywhere, but decided to stay in this district. The average annual salary of a worker in the Gateway85 area is $80,000, which tells you we have people here every day with money to spend. There are a lot of good reasons for people to come and be a part of the transformation happening in the Gateway85 part of Gwinnett County. the EXECUTIVE 5