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And right now there is hardly any accessible
alternate route because vehicles can’t cross
the concrete median to turn around and go
the other way. It’s been a real challenge for us
and I think that’s our top priority.
Secondly, we want to create
opportunities for redevelopment, and we are
seeing that with a $20 million medical facility
that will reside just past Killian Hill in an
old restaurant. With the anticipated opening
in October of next year, that is going to add
about 150 high-wage jobs to the corridor.
Finally, the accoutrement that we
try to add to is connecting two pieces of
county space with a trail along the Yellow
River, which would feature both tubing and
kayaking. We have been working with the
county and their leisure services division
on that project. We continue to work on
expanding the LCI that exists along Highway
78 to bring it all the way down to Yellow River.
We have about 35 acres along the river which
is going to open up for redevelopment and we
want to put that infrastructure in place or at
least get the plans on the ground to advance
those other parcels to get in place.
Anderson:
What challenges need to be
overcome to achieve these goals?
Allen:
The greatest challenge for us is
overcoming the perception about our area.
But, as you peel the layers back, you see it
isn’t quite what people perceive. For example,
many of the shopping centers along Pleasant
Hill are 90-95 percent occupied. We’ve had
new hotels open in the last couple of years,
and the other hotels have gone through a
multi-million dollar renovation. We’re seeing
a lot of entrepreneurs coming into that area
and finding success. Many new businesses
are opening such as K-1 Speed, America’s
premier indoor karting center; along with LA
Fitness and Studio Movie Grill. The area is
emerging as metro Atlanta’s destination for
those seeking unique dining options. With an
increasing number of highly rated restaurants,
greater Gwinnett Place is being recognized
for its distinctive dining favorites. Thanks to
the leadership of the CID’s Board of Directors,
we have a committed group of commercial
property owners leading the charge to take
Gwinnett’s central business district to the
next level of development and success.
Warbington:
I think our challenge is
centered around staying focused on long-
term goals and visions. When you start
having a lot of activity and a lot of folks in
the area doing a variety of things, you want
to make sure it fits into the long-term vision
of what you want to do and not just settle
on something that may just happen. We’re
having lots of conversations with people
and businesses in the area, as well as the
board. We have an ultimate vision about
what we want to have in the area, what the
vision looks like and requires, and we’ve got
some great opportunities with some of the
investments we’ve landed. We want to keep
that momentum and our standards high
moving forward.
The second part of that is just continuing
to make sure we have county-wide buy-in.
That means voters and businesses in the
northern part of the county, as well as elected
officials, understanding that things that
happen in the southern part of the county
may be a little bit different than what needs
to happen in the northern part of the county.
But they need to happen nonetheless, for the
benefit of Gwinnett as a whole.
Brooks:
Our challenge is the same as
Joe’s: perception. People like to stand back and
criticize, but when they get closer to the action
and become more engaged, they understand.
Some people fail to see long-term or share in
the vision – like what Chuck said – and our
progress may not fit their day-to-day activities.
We try to add intrinsic value as much as
dollar value. What does cutting the grass and
trimming the sidewalk and sweeping the
streets really do for a CID? It makes it look
like somebody lives in a clean house. We are
creating a sense of place; it’s no longer simply a
path from point A to point B.
All for One and One for All
(Continued from page 5)
THE EXECUTIVE – Q3 2015
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