What a year for the Gwinnett Place district! Thanks to two business headquarters moving into the district, Gwinnett Place added more jobs to the already 25,000+ employees here. We welcomed OS National which added 1,000 new jobs and invested more than $15 million in its headquarters, and Boehringer Ingelheim North American. In addition, McClure Health Science High School opened in August, making it the largest public investment in the area in decades, and is a unique place where students learn college-preparatory curriculum through the lens of health and science. We once again hosted the annual Metro Atlanta Redevelopment Summit (MARS) at Movie Studio Grill where Gwinnett Place CID board member Ben Yorker was a guest speaker, and last but not least, the Gwinnett Place Mall is officially on the market for sale! A possible sale of the mall, which has essentially been declining for years, could lead to further and much needed redevelopment in the area!
The CID focused its marketing efforts by spreading the word about all the benefits the County’s largest commercial district offers through multiple speaking engagements by board chair Leo Wiener and board member Ben Yorker, in addition to the CID’s executive director. Wiener and Yorker spoke at Bisnow Atlanta’s Future of Gwinnett County and Northeast event in August, enlightening the community about Gwinnett Place Mall and future projects in the area, while Allen spoke at Gwinnett Young Professionals’ morning mixer, along with multiple organizations in and around Gwinnett throughout the year. In addition to speaking opportunities, the CID regularly distributed email newsletters, updated its website and regularly posted on all of its social media channels. Not connected? Be sure to visit gwinnettplacecid.com, register for the newsletter and follow us on social media.
The CID also partnered with Gwinnett Transit to host Transit Referendum education events at several locations throughout the district.
Completed and Underway Projects
This past year included many projects for the CID! The Pleasant Hill Road/I-85 northbound collector-distributor improvement project was completed, and the CID installed new sidewalks along Old Norcross Road and Steve Reynolds Boulevard. Additionally, more streetscapes were installed along Pleasant Hill Road from Club Drive to Old Norcross Road.
In partnership with the CID, Gwinnett County Department of Transportation, construction is underway on the Venture Drive/Day Drive roundabout, Venture Drive/Steve Reynolds Boulevard intersection improvement project and the Mall Boulevard complete street project.
In December, the Gwinnett Place CID’s board of directors approved a new multi-year partnership with Flock Safety, the only automatic license plate reading (ALPR) camera system built specifically for neighborhoods, businesses and law enforcement. Under the partnership, a large number of ALPR cameras will be installed this year with the option to add more.
Study Involvements
During 2019, the CID partnered with other organizations to create and fund various studies to help improve areas in and around the CID, including the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridor Study, truck parking study, I-85 corridor study and the loop trail study.
In October, GPCID partnered with Gwinnett DOT and Gwinnett Parks and Recreation to seek funds related to the construction of trails to McDaniel Farm Park (to accompany SPLOST funds) and detailed study of the Multi-Use Trail Connection between Shorty Howell Park and McDaniel Farm Park.
The CID also completed the Pleasant Hill Road at I-85 interchange assessment study in March 2019.
Vision 2020: Gwinnett Place CID’s Future
Moving into 2020, the CID will continue its efforts to enhance the area and attract redevelopment. This year is also the Gwinnett Place CID’s 15th anniversary! The Gwinnett Place CID board of directors and staff are thrilled to have been improving the area since 2005 and will continue their hard work in 2020 and the years to come. Stay up-to-date on the CID’s improvements and projects by following along on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.