By Sheri Clark
MOUNTAIN PARK, Ga. | The latest progress on the Olympic Tennis Center Development comes straight from Commissioner Ben Ku via a Facebook post: “The Commissioner’s actions have been tabled to our August 22 meeting as Fuqua Development is making several reconfigurations to the plan in response to the feedback from the planning commission and myself.” This is good news for the Mountain Park community and surrounding areas!
First, a little history, the Olympic Tennis Center site was purchased in 2016 to create a landmark “Gateway to Southern Gwinnett” mixed-use development. The vision for this well-located and highly visible property included walkability, boutique dining and shopping, as well as housing, greenspace, and a spectacular view of Stone Mountain.
As many of us know, the wheels of government planning turn slow. In 2017 the tennis facilities and stadium were demolished to prepare the way for the innovative mixed-use development. During the height of the pandemic, Gwinnett’s Board of Commissioners authorized Fuqua Development to create a modern live-work-eat-shop-play mixed-use development as catalyst for revitalizing the local area. The contract placed the project under a strict non-disclosure agreement, keeping everyone from citizens and even the County Commissioners, in the dark.
Finally, in April 2023, Commissioner Ben Ku and Fuqua Development held a community meeting to unveil the proposed plan to be presented at the next Gwinnett Planning Commission meeting in May. The developer’s proposal was not what the county originally requested, eliciting a polarized response from the local community that attended.
Much of this feedback was expressed on social media, both for and against the proposal. This feedback was also apparent at the Planning Commission public meeting on May 2. The Planning Commission offered several suggestions for modification to the proposal.
Should the Board of Commissioners approve this modified plan, if it still does not fit the original vision? Mountain Park Community Association wants the community of Mountain Park to have a say. Become informed, share your opinion with MPCA, and let our County Commissioners know what you want.
Check out the MPCA News page on its website for more information on the history and progress of this property and other important issues impacting where you live, work, and play! MPCA News | Mountain Park GA (mountainparkcommunity.us)
Want to stay informed? Sign up for the MPCA newsletter on our Contact page!
How can you contribute to the future planning of my area? Participate in the development of Gwinnett’s 2045 Unified Plan, the next revision of the current Gwinnett 2040 Unified Plan.
In the next 20 years Gwinnett’s population is projected to increase by 600,000. Revision of the Unified Plan is intended to address a variety of issues related to this projected growth such as housing shortage, commercial development, and quality-of-life options. The county has several public workshops planned to share their vision and to listen to your input.
The workshops ask area residents about what housing would best fit in the areas still available to build and develop on to accommodate the predicted growth and avoid a housing shortage. Since developers will build to meet this demand, the county planners want to do this in the most favorable way possible to the current community members. That’s why they’re asking for our input.
- Visit the 2045 Unified Plan webpage to see the dates and locations of these events
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