Evermore CID
receives 2008 Gwinnett County
Revitalization Grant
Chairman Bannister's focus on revitalization
yields results
For the
past several years, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, led
by Chairman Charles Bannister's focus on revitalization, has
provided additional funding to encourage investment in older areas
of the county. The Evermore CID previously received Revitalization
Grant funding to aid in the expansion of sewer service along U.S. 78
- a project the CID Board let to bid just this week. This year, the
Evermore CID received Revitalization Grant funds to prepare several
site-specific redevelopment plans.
Earlier this year, in preparation for the Gwinnett
County Grant application, the Evermore CID Board of Directors
participated in a process of ranking and prioritizing various
properties within the Evermore Business District considered
desirable for redevelopment. With several community studies
completed by the Evermore CID and various professional planning
firms, the Evermore CID’s Board of Directors were well equipped to
pinpoint the top five catalyst sites that would benefit from
revitalization.
As defined by the Park Place Activity Center Study
completed last year, Park Place catalyst sites include the former
Cub Foods and vacant Kroger properties as well as adjacent parcels
within the Stone Mountain Square area. The Board also ranked the
properties surrounding the proposed Solid Rock medical development
(near the Yellow River Game Ranch) within the top five, as well as
Easy Street and West Side Court properties near Highpoint Road that
were defined in the LCI study completed in 2004.
Dr. Alfie Meek, Director of Forecasting, Gwinnett
County Economic Analysis and Development Division, attended the
Evermore CID’s board meeting to present the 2008 Gwinnett County
Revitalization Grant for $112,000. “Investing in the economic
vitality of our community is a basic quality of life issue and it
gives me great pleasure to present this grant to the Evermore CID”,
stated Meek.
The Evermore CID will provide matching grant funds
and expand on work currently underway for the business district by
The Bleakly Advisory Group to complete a redevelopment plan for the
U.S. 78 corridor. Upon approval by Gwinnett County, the Evermore
CID, Bleakly Advisory Group and planning firm JJ&G will prepare
detailed plans and analysis for the five target revitalization sites
to attract private investment.
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