As February arrives, Johns Creek’s city staff is busy planning and implementing some of the biggest projects we’ve seen in our short 8-year history. I’ve written previously about 2015 being “The Year of Public Works.” This will be such an important year as various public works projects will be underway, improving our quality of life at every turn.
As you drive around Johns Creek you can’t miss all the construction on sections of Jones Bridge, Old Alabama, Medlock Bridge and Abbotts Bridge roads. Although some of you may have been caught in some of the traffic delays caused by the ongoing road work, please know that these temporary delays will result in big future benefits in traffic improvement. If Mother Nature helps us out with mild weather this winter, our crews will be able to quickly transition projects into permanent improvements. That means we will all be using widened roads, added lanes and new sidewalks and trails – all of which are designed to improve connectivity throughout our city. So thank you for your patience.
As our staff is busy providing the best in public service, I will be preparing for the State of the City breakfast, set for March 6 at 7:30 a.m. at the Atlanta Athletic Club. This event focuses primarily on our past year’s accomplishments and gives a vision of our future. This year, I plan to focus on the important decisions we have ahead of us with respect to economic development. You hear those two words all the time these days. Every city in the U.S. is talking about economic development, as well they should. It’s become a very competitive marketplace, especially in this part of Greater Atlanta and we intend to be ahead of the pack in innovation, technology and city planning.
I invite all Johns Creek residents and business owners to join us that morning. Not to just hear me talk…but to become a part of the dialogue about economic development in Johns Creek and its importance in assuring our solid financial future as a city.
The key topic will surround what I call, “The District” – 728 acres in the northeast corner of the city surrounding Johns Creek Technology Park – which we’ve identified and are studying to determine if it can serve as a potential central business district.
Could this area, over time and with the right planning, become an exciting destination place for Johns Creek? Could it provide the right combination of mixed-use space that would attract innovative businesses, residents looking for a live/work/play environment, and families looking for entertainment and shopping? This is our opportunity to explore and to make you a part of that process. We’ve listened to you! You’ve given us ideas and your priorities for our city. As a result, we’ve recently hired a multi-discipline team of consultants led by Urban Design Associates to study the area and determine how this sub-market can accommodate new development that balances our tax digest, creates a public gathering space, and offers an interesting, mixed-use space that also attracts early evening and weekend visitors.
The city is kicking off this project, yes, but it will only be feasible with support and cooperation from the private sector. It’s a bold project. But we need a project bold enough to move the needle forward, so to speak, in order to have enough of an impact on our tax ratio, which currently places way too much burden on our residential taxpayers.
Our continued success lies in balancing our residential/commercial tax digest and “The District” represents the most real opportunity to do that. It will also help us attract a work force that appeals to innovative businesses to come here or expand here.
Since we incorporated, there’s been a lot of discussion about Johns Creek needing some kind of city center…or central focus…one place we can point to and say “that’s Johns Creek.” Well, “The District” is an instrumental step in that direction. At this point, we’re just beginning the study phase. We have a lot to learn and I’ll be sharing it with you in the months to come.
I hope that you will find the time to come to the State of the City on March 6. Details can be found on the City’s website at www.johnscreekga.gov. If you are unable to attend, a copy of the speech and presentation will be available on the City’s website. I hope you take the time to review it, and give us your feedback.
Finally, I would like to offer my thanks for allowing me to address you each month in your newsletter. I hope that this is the start of the conversation about “The District” and I encourage you to reach out to my office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call me at (678) 512-3313 anytime.
to your business!