The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners and Council for Quality Growth member, Gwinnett Place CID, are interested in making a number of short term and long term investments around Gwinnett Place Mall. The intent of these investments is to revitalize the area as a vibrant, walkable and transit accessible regional mixed use district (MU-R district). This vision and the strategy to bring it to fruition is detailed in the ACTivate Gwinnett Place Master Plan. Adopted by the Gwinnett Place CID on May 2015, the ACTivate Gwinnett Place Master Plan advocates the funding of five key projects:
- Streetscape improvements and a Grand Promenade lined with multicultural gardens and multi-use paths.
- A 1,500 foot iconic bike and pedestrian bridge linked to McDaniel Farm Park.
- A signalized, round-about like roadway with an interior public park at Satellite Blvd and Pleasant Hill Rd.
- An improved regional detention pond with additional storage capacity that could double as an open space amenity.
- An improved and inviting Transit Center that promotes alternative modes of transportation.
To reduce barriers to rapid and quality redevelopment, the Master Plan calls upon officials to consider using either government-initiated rezoning or an overlay to secure entitlements for properties within the targeted Master Plan area. The overlay option in particular would encourage by-right development, with the provision that proposals adhere to the Master Plan’s MU-R district standards.
As an MU-R district, developers would be allowed to construct up to 25-story buildings and 96 dwelling units per acre; but they might find a possible constraint to development in the form of a requirement for a minimum project size of 40 acres. The plan however, grants County officials the flexibility to issue waivers for this requirement if needed.
According to the Gwinnett Daily Post, the infrastructure recommendations of the ACTivate Gwinnett Place plan carry an approximate cost of $85 million and could take up to 10 years to complete. To be successful, partnerships between the County and CIDs are expected to play a significant role in implementing many parts of the plan, particularly on transportation-related projects.
Since the adoption of plan, the Gwinnett Place CID has made a number of streetscape and landscaping improvements which have received very supportive feedback from the Board of Commissioners. With strong leadership and favorable market demographics, the successful funding of the remaining Gwinnett Place improvements could be transformative for the area. Requested proposals to look at the feasibility of the circular roadway project are due October 1st, 2015.
To see read the article from the Gwinnett Daily Post, click HERE.