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Allow me to share our
story. The Sugar Hill
story begins with a sleepy
1930s community simply
consisting of a bowling
alley, a movie theater, and
a shoe factory. It is the tale
woven out of a small gold-
mining area and a derailed
wagon carrying a heavy
load of sugar. It is from
this humble beginning that stands in stark
contrast to where Sugar Hill is today. “The
hill where the sugar spilled” now sits at the
literal crossroad of a major commercial hub
in north Gwinnett.
Attitude – To Think and Act Big
In recent years, we have been laser-focused
on planning and developing a vibrant and
walkable downtown. We are thinking BIG.
Our efforts center on making downtown
Sugar Hill a destination, similar to
Greenville, SC, not an accidental visit or
afterthought. While I am credited with
challenging the city council and staff with
the phrase “Go Big or Go Home,” the truth
is, Sugar Hill has been dreaming big for
years. The correct ingredients are now in
place. “Go Big or Go Home” just articulates
our vision loudly and clearly.
Aptitude – To Foster
Relationships and
Nurture Partnerships
In the social
media era of “friends,
followers, and likes”
it is more critical
than ever to nurture
relationships. We have
made a concerted effort
to build partnerships
with our schools, churches, homeowners
associations, civic organizations and
businesses—as well as with our peers in
Gwinnett and metro Atlanta. We want
to change our residential/commercial
property mix but we want to do it rationally
and strategically. Having an open and
transparent development process, an
understanding of what our community
wants and an aptitude for creating the right
atmosphere for quality development will
help this market remain bullish for years to
come.
Latitude – To Be Creative and Adaptive
Being creative, flexible and adaptive are
traits we embrace. We thrive in that
environment and that type of thinking
and action. From repurposing our former
City Hall into a Manhattan-style business
incubator and co-working space and
hosting the largest outdoor natural ice rink
in the South, to preserving precious real
estate near the Chattahoochee River and
making the decision to upgrade our concert
venue—“The Bowl at Sugar Hill”—to allow
larger acts to play, create an interactive plaza
and improve the experience in the venue
are just a few examples of our adaptability.
We have assembled a great management
team, hired energetic and creative staff and
engaged the community in creative ways.
Enjoy the Sweet Life – The Future is
Now!
“Enjoy the Sweet Life” is the slogan our
downtown development team has used for
years. It could not be more fitting for what
our common vision is today. The city will
soon break ground on the largest city-
initiated development ever—the EpiCenter
overlooking The Bowl at Sugar Hill. This
community-initiated development has
helped attract nearly $100 million of new
private development that could break
ground as early as June 2016. Several other
projects are in various stages of negotiation
that could add another $75 million of
private investment. These are exciting times
in Sugar Hill.
Attitude, Aptitude and Latitude: A Formula for Success
BY MAYOR STEVE EDWARDS, CITY OF SUGAR HILL
The EpiCenter
THE EXECUTIVE – Q4 2015
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