By Kate Pittman
MOUNTAIN PARK, Ga. | Rumor has it Costco is interested in building a third store in Gwinnett. The understanding is that it is considering the site of the 1996 Olympic tennis courts, located off U.S. Highway 78, in the shadow of Stone Mountain. Before readers get excited about another Costco, there is much the community and Board of Commissioners need to consider. There are tradeoffs, especially in long-term planning and quality of life.
The 1996 Olympics hosted many international tennis champions in a stadium with an up-close view of Stone Mountain. The site borders Dekalb County, Stone Mountain Golf Course, and tStone Mountain Highway (U.S. 78) with 1/3 mile of highway frontage.
Stone Mountain Park, the most visited attraction in Georgia, hosts over 40 million visitors a year. There is much about this location that makes it unique and valuable. Additionally, the surrounding commercial area is ripe for revitalization. For these reasons, Gwinnett County purchased the Olympic property in 2016 with intentions of developing this well located, highly-visible property into a county showcase. The plan, proposed by the previous County Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash, was to create a landmark “Gateway to Southern Gwinnett”, easily seen from U.S. Highway 78. The vision promised walkability, boutique dining & shopping, housing, Greenspace, and a spectacular view of Stone Mountain.
In 2017, the stadium and tennis courts were demolished and cleared for future construction. In December 2020, 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 on Fuqua’s plan.
When Case RZC2023-00008 was put before the Planning Commission onMay 2, 2023, the proposal looked nothing like Charlotte Nash’s original Gateway vision. Gwinnett County (with Fuqua Development) applied to rezone the site for a huge retail building, a 12-dispenser gas station, and acres of paved parking. Along with this, the neighboring parking lot of the Self-Storage Facility, formally Target, would become a 255-unit apartment complex, and three fast-food “restaurants.”
The Mountain Park Community Association posted information about the project, along with alternative concepts for this high-visibility location. Based on comments to MPCA’s posts, the community would like a Costco located nearby, but are concerned about how the projected increase in traffic would affect their quality of life.
Every day 90,000 vehicles pass by on the U.S. Highway 78; Costco alone would add over 20,000 vehicles. The three restaurants, gas station, and apartments would further increase traffic. The community would benefit more if Costco was located further down Highway 78, where the large Cub Foods building has lain vacant for over a decade. The Cub Foods property is undeniably in need of revitalization; which would significantly improve the commercial area in southwest Gwinnett County.
It’s pretty safe to say that Charlotte Nash’s vision for a “signature southern gateway” did not include a close-up view of the back of a Costco warehouse on this important highway.
The Planning Commission tabled Case RZC2023-00008 until June 6, 2023. Afterwards it will move to the Board of Commissioners for a final vote. Contact information for the Planning Commissioners and County Commissioners can be found at https://www.mountainparkcommunity.us/mpca-news
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