The Gwinnett Place Mall Site Revitalization Team has completed a redevelopment concept of what the dying Gwinnett Place Mall site could become. Its Global Villages concept is based on extensive community input and a data-driven, market supportable and economically feasible analysis.
Joe Allen, director of the Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District, says “Based on months of study and engagement, the Global Villages concept is predominantly residential with modest amounts of new retail and office developments. The focal point will be a new international culture and community center and central park where people who live, work, dine and play in the district can experience and enjoy all the cultures that comprise our diverse community.”
Global Villages could include the following:
- Seven residential villages centered on small parks, plazas and pathway.While different in design, each village would include 150 to 500 units of multi-family housing with a mix of market-rate and affordable/workforce housing.
- International culture + community center, where people could engage with a diversity of cultures, participate in the arts, access education, and obtain job training.
- A central park, the focus of arts and performances.
- Ring Road greenway trail (1.25-mile loop).
- Walkable, transit-oriented development.
- Redevelopment spurred by catalyst projects.
- Structured parking decks with an artistic design (200 spaces per floor, no more than five floors).
- Restaurant- and culture-focused retail spaces of 50-100,000 square feet; and
- Commercial office space (25,000 square feet.)
At their request, three major current retail stores, Macy’s, Mega Mart, and Beauty Master, would remain in their current buildings and be a part of the site’s transformation.
Mobility enhancements would come in the form of a new Gwinnett Place Transit Center, serving multiple local bus lines and including a new transit center building, park-and-ride and kiss-and-ride lots. In addition, the center could accommodate future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which is being studied by Gwinnett County to potentially link Gwinnett Place to both Jimmy Carter Boulevard and Sugarloaf.
A detailed implementation strategy will be completed by August 31, 2022. To view more about Global Villages redevelopment concept, visit the Gwinnett Place To Be website here.
Lawrenceville to use cameras to slow school zone speeders
Lawrenceville will begin in August what other cities are doing to slow speeding cars in school zones. Its police department will begin an automated traffic enforcement speed device program at six public schools within the city limits to increase safety for students, parents, educators, and anyone traveling through the school zones. The City Council approved the program last December.
An initial 30-day warning period will begin August 3, during which violators will receive a warning in the mail that carries no fine. After the warning period expires on September 5, violators will receive a citation in the mail. The fine is $75 (+$25 processing fee) for the first offense and $100 (+$25 processing fee) for each subsequent offense.
The automated speed zone will be enforced on school days starting one hour before and after school begins and one hour before and after the end of the school day.
School zones included are Benefield Elementary School, Central Gwinnett High School, Discovery High School, Lawrenceville Elementary School, Oakland Meadow School, and Winn Holt Elementary School.
Firm seeking to find owner of iconic Gwinnett photograph
A business in Gwinnett wants to use a photo, but needs to know who took the photograph to get permission to use it. It’s the photo of the water towers that once stood by Interstate 85 near Norcross, one saying “Gwinnett is great,” and the other which said “Success Lives Here.” The photo was on the cover of Elliott Brack’s history of the county, the 850-page book entitled: “Gwinnett: a little above Atlanta.”
This new business wants to know who owns the copyrighted photo. If any reader knows, they should contact GwinnettForum (770 840 1003).
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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