Recently, the first Downtown Development Authority’s (DDA) Developers Day was held in Canton. Thirty-five realtors, developers in the commercial and residential markets, and mixed-use development firms from across metro Atlanta attended the event. Several of the property owners themselves were there, too.
The event began with breakfast in the historic Canton Theatre followed by time to get acquainted with one another. Mayor Hobgood welcomed guests, and then Matthew Thomas provided a detailed presentation, which highlighted several properties. Matthew also showed an astonishing video that displayed, “What Could Be If…….” Many of the properties in the video had never been presented to developers in a way that showcased the possibilities in town and along the Etowah River.
After the presentation, the visitors broke into two groups for walking tours of the Cherokee County Arts Center, the Cherokee County History Museum, the historic Canton Elementary School, and the Canton Mill office building. Canton Mill and historic Canton Elementary School were purchased by The Harris Group and are currently undergoing renovations to lease space for restaurants, retail, and office space. The morning of tours concluded at one of Canton’s newest restaurants, Queenie’s, for a traditional southern lunch.
Special thanks to Georgia Power and Rod Drake for putting together the video using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software and infrastructure mapping capabilities. This allowed for the properties to be shown reflecting utility information and proper zoning. Thanks to East Main Café for breakfast, and thanks to Rebecca Johnston, Billy Peppers, and their team for putting together a unique opportunity to see Canton and its possible future. And a big thanks to Matthew Thomas, Canton’s economic development manager, for supplying these details.
After this event, potential new deals were being discussed, which will hopefully culminate in sold property and new destinations for Canton’s residents.
to your business!