Executive-2019-summer

and national talent. The E Center sits next to City Hall and stretches down the block, bookended by the new community gym, which is free for city residents. “I see people engaged in the new spaces. Families walking around between the Eagle Theater and E Center eating outside and kids playing in the splash pad, and I just think, wow, we’ve really done something here,” Edwards said. Edwards served on the Sugar Hill City Council for 10 years prior to being elected mayor in 2014. A man with big dreams and the personal motto “Go big or go home,” he credits his leadership team and City Manager Paul Radford’s office for working together to create the lively downtown center now serving the population of Sugar Hill and surrounding areas of Gwinnett County. “I’m really proud of the whole group,” he said. “The mayor and city council set policy but it’s the city manager who really does the ‘make it happen’ work. I try to stay out of their way. It’s cool to see the whole plan coming together.” The plan all along has been to bring people together. About 11 years ago, the City surveyed residents and the results were clear. “They wanted a place to be entertained, a place to eat and have a sense of community,” Edwards said. “We started to buy up property downtown so we could have control of what goes in there. We wanted to create a sense of place, a destination, but with a feeling of distinction; something uniquely Sugar Hill.” As the City has worked to create a community gathering place, Edwards said it was important to preserve the City’s small-town atmosphere. “We love our schools. We love our churches. We love our community. Sugar Hill feels like a small town. It’s unique to still have that sense of community in suburban Atlanta,” he said. To keep that unique atmosphere, Edwards said the City has specific parameters about the kinds of businesses they want to attract with their new construction. “We’re very deliberate about who we approach about being a part of the E Center,” he said. “We like local entrepreneurs. We’re so close to the Mall of Georgia, which has all the national chains. There’s nothing wrong with national chains, but we want to create something new and different here.” For Edwards, one of the distinctively Sugar Hill attractions in town is the 1,750-seat Bowl. “Everything we do in Sugar Hill is a little different. I believe The Bowl is the unique component of our initial redevelopment,” he said. Built in 2014 and ever increasing in popularity, The Bowl recently hosted rock ’n’ roll legend Joan Jett, who played to a sold-out crowd - the first crowd to have access to Crazy Dough Pizza and Central City Tavern in the newly opened E Center. A new brewery will also be open to the public later this summer and will be ready for crowds coming to The Bowl for shows featuring rock/jazz group Blood Sweat and Tears on August 3 and country artist Clay Walker on August 30. With most major construction projects, cities can usually expect some negative feedback, but Edwards said there has been no issues from the community during the EXECUTIVE 3