The City Council made the decision to purchase the approximately 133 acres of land for recreation and parks. With this purchase, Johns Creek now has more than 300 acres of park land.

The property will be utilized for recreation and open space for the benefit of the community. The purchase aligns with the top recommendation from the Recreation and Parks Strategic Plan to acquire at least one, 100-plus acre tract of land. The purchase price, which includes the Cauley Creek Water Reclamation Plant, is $152,500 per acre for a total of a little more than $20.3 million. As part of a partnership with Trust for Public Land, announced in January 2016, the Trust for Public Land contributed $1.5 million towards the purchase price.

The Cauley Creek property is located in the eastern half of the city, adjacent to the Rogers Bridge Trail and the proposed Rogers Bridge connection to Duluth. It has vehicular access from Bell Road, as well as significant frontage along the Chattahoochee River. The property is bordered to the west by Cauley Creek and to the east by the Rogers Bridge Trail.

Cauley Creek Water Reclamation, LLC, which is selling the property to the city, will continue to maintain the plant for one year following the transaction. The plant is not in use, but the city will consider all options regarding the future of the plant.

The final park site plan has yet to be determined. Later this year, the city will begin to develop plans on how to utilize the parks. The public will be included in the process to help determine the final park layout.