Partnership Gwinnett, in collaboration with the Council for Quality Growth, has announced the City of Marietta was awarded the 2018 Regional Redevelopment Award for Franklin Gateway at the Annual Metro Atlanta Redevelopment Summit.
In November 2013, Mayor Steve Tumlin and City Council placed before the citizens of Marietta a $68 million Redevelopment Bond for approval. Citizens of the City of Marietta passed the $68 million Redevelopment Bond, $64 million of which was for the Franklin Gateway Redevelopment Project. Since the passage of the referendum, the City has utilized the funds to purchase four multi-family complexes and one commercial shopping center along Franklin Gateway leading to new private investment and the creation of more than 2,600 jobs in the corridor.
The City’s award-winning entry stated that the Franklin Gateway Redevelopment project has displayed immense and innovative public investment in an area desperately needing revitalization. In 2015, The Home Depot relocated its Marietta Technology Center to Franklin Gateway which has brought more than 1,800 jobs to the corridor. The City’s redevelopment properties along the corridor have also seen rapid success. In April 2017, Atlanta United Football Club opened their training facility on Franklin Gateway. Additionally, in August of that year, Marietta finalized the construction of the Franklin Gateway Sports Complex, and in December, IKEA USA announced that their 2nd metro-Atlanta store would be built on a Franklin Redevelopment site. On the heels of the IKEA announcement, Drive Shack announced the development of a sports entertainment destination that combines golf, dining, and games.
The statistical improvement along Franklin Gateway speaks to a radical transformation. Since the bond was passed in 2013, police incidents have decreased by nearly 40 percent, and property values have risen more than 100 percent. As the City’s announced projects come off the ground, these improvements will only continue. Were it not for the visionary and decisive action of Marietta’s Mayor, Council and voters, this corridor revitalization would not be being realized.
“It is an honor for the City to be recognized at the Metro Atlanta Redevelopment Summit for our ongoing revitalization project along Franklin Gateway,” said the City’s Economic Development Manager, Daniel Cummings. “Our Mayor and City Council have worked tirelessly to see the area become a hub for job growth and business opportunities.”
