County-approved proposal for Gwinnett Place renovation | Provided.
Gwinnett County said Tuesday that it is partnering with one of the world’s premiere real estate services firms, CBRE, to help advance the redevelopment of Gwinnett Place Mall.
CBRE is a global leader in commercial real estate services and investments. Its mission is to realize the potential of our clients, professionals and partners by building the real estate solutions of the future. From instilling confidence in today’s decisions to re-imagining tomorrow’s spaces, CBRE thrives in complex and ever-changing environments. It has over 500 offices in 100 countries.
Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson says: “This is a significant and exciting new development in the story of the Gwinnett Place Mall’s revitalization. CBRE is the right partner to help bring a transformative redevelopment project to this site.”
Gwinnett Place was the first mall in the county, opening on February 19, 1984, and developed by Scott Hudgens of Duluth. Later, in ____, Hudgens also opened the largest mall in Georgia, the Mall of Georgia near Buford. In the meantime, Gwinnett Place saw hard times, with many of its firms moving out, and the mall became deteriorated.
Gwinnett County purchased a 39-acre portion of the Gwinnett Place Mall site in 2020, recognizing that the area needed a catalytic project to revitalize the underused activity center. To guide the revitalization of the mall site, the Board of Commissioners adopted an Equitable Redevelopment Plan and a Livable Centers Initiative Plan that incorporated extensive community engagement and involvement. The vision for the site is to create a dense, mixed-use activity center that is well connected, green and walkable, while preserving the cultural diversity and character of the area.
District 1 Commissioner Kirkland Carden says: “We look forward to collaborating with CBRE to make this vision a reality. Their extensive experience and expertise on projects like this one will ensure we create a vibrant new place to gather and enjoy.”
Joe Allen, executive director of the Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District, says: “The Gwinnett Place area commercial property owners, businesses, and residents are grateful to the county for its staunch commitment to that vision for the mall property. “Bringing a respected global company like CBRE to the table is a tangible example of that support.”
CBRE Group, Inc., a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm.
Jae Kim, vice president and head of CBRE’s U.S. East Coast Korea Desk, says of the new venture: “I am excited to be a part of the transformation of this place that I have called home for over 35 years. Building on Gwinnett County’s work to date and commitment to this transformational project, CBRE is proud to join the county to deliver a revitalized, vibrant, and inclusive development for Gwinnett residents.”
Next steps for the project will be refining plans to optimize the opportunity for a transformative project before seeking development partners to transform the site consistent with the county’s goals and vision.
Braselton Citizen’s Academy begins in April
The Town of Braselton Government Citizen’s Academy Program is a unique opportunity for citizens to develop a better understanding about the Town of Braselton government. Each month covers a different topic related to Town service provision.
The Citizens Academy begins in April and is held for seven months on the third Thursday of each month in the evenings. Applicants must agree to attend all seven sessions. There are also extracurricular activities such as a trolley tour of town and ride-alongs with the Braselton Police Department.
Space is limited and the classes fill quickly, so don’t delay. More information is available on the application.
County OKs new small park near Singleton Road
Gwinnett Commissioners gave the green light to build Singleton Park and Greenway at 5220 Singleton Road. The new 1.58-acre park will meet the community’s diverse needs and preferences with recreational and accessibility features, including open leisure spaces, a playground, a multimodal trail, shade structures, and a Ride Gwinnett stop.
F.S. Scarborough LLC was awarded the contract. The $6.3 million project is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, a Governor’s Office grant, 2017 SPLOST programs, and a CARES Act Community Development Block Grant. Visit GwinnettSPLOST.com to learn more about SPLOST.
Game Jam seeks entries on “Tales from the Abyss”
The third annual “Game Jam 2024” is being presented by the Gwinnett County Public Library during the coming Spring break. It continues through April 19. It is being sponsored by Southern Fried Gaming Expo.
Game jams are events where participants make a video game, card game, board game, tabletop game, or hybrid game, often based on a theme or concept during a specified timeframe.
The theme for this year’s program is Explore the Strange and Unusual with this year’s theme, “Tales from the Abyss.” The judges are looking for unique interpretations of the theme. Winners will be awarded gift cards and other prizes.
Any game engine, coding tool, or website is welcome for entry. This year, the program has expanded to accept board, card, tabletop, and hybrid games. For video game submission, the work must be a game that is playable via a web browser and made public for wide viewing. The form for submitting your game only allows a URL to be entered. Most games must be uploaded to itch.io after creating a free account. If your game is not free, it will not be selected for the Showcase. Please note that games cannot contain nudity, drug use, profanity, slurs, or extreme violence.
Buford nonprofit gives women “second chance”
Victoria’s Friends, a Buford faith-based 501(c)3 nonprofit created in 2000, will celebrate Women’s History Month on March 23 at Aqua Terra Bistro, 55 East Main Street in Buford by honoring three special Georgia women and their accomplishments. Victoria’s Friends bestows “second chances” to women who are lost and trapped in the helplessness of sexually oriented businesses. It is one of only a handful of survivor-led sexual-exit organizations across the country,
Victoria Teague, founder and a survivor herself, recognized a spark of entrepreneurship in Brandi Cannon, Shironda Evans, and Patricia McNeill when she delivered “Baskets of Love” to the three honorees at their workplaces during a span of 20 years. Each one was given a second chance at a new life in the form of a scholarship covering cars, counseling, childcare, job training and rent. Patricia McNeil, the newest recipient who wants to be a fashion designer, will get a new website and merchandise to sell at her fashion boutique.
Brandi Cannon and Shironda Evans have also started businesses: the former teaching painting classes to budding entrepreneurs; and the latter doing personal coaching and real estate investing.
In addition, Shirlonda has written a book entitled Mindset Change 101. Her favorite theme from the book is “your quality of life increases when your mindset changes.” She hopes skills like learning leadership, entrepreneurship, and community building will help others take charge of their lives.
Each month, through its “Baskets of Love” outreach program, Victoria’s Friends volunteers deliver gift baskets to individuals working in entertainment clubs throughout metro Atlanta. The organization is always in need of donated items—socks, scarves, lotions, notes of encouragement, and anything that would be perceived as a gift—for the bags.
Victoria Teague says: “Each year, we give 16-20 scholarships. We are hoping to open a community center to bring all the women together. With our faith-based ministry, much of our funding comes from our church partnerships, individual donors, as well as our anniversary event in November. We have also sponsored recent online 5K’s to raise funds. We are in our 24th year of ministry, and it is a delight to help each and every candidate.”
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