This story has been updated.

By Logan C. Ritchie, contributor 

Tucker, GA — Tucker’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) met briefly on Nov. 2 with updates on the alleyway project. The plan includes restoring alleys, incorporating pedestrian trails, and adding green space to host Tucker’s well-known festivals.

The DDA also discussed the possibility that Pontoon Brewing Company may be moving into Tucker, but that is not part of the alleyway project the DDA discussed.

Matthew Lee, executive director of Tucker Northlake Community Improvement District, delivered a similar presentation at last week’s City Council meeting. He compared it to outdoor malls Avalon in Alpharetta and the Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta located in Woodstock.

The plan calls for creating pedestrian-friendly space with public art, retail shops, and restaurants. DDA member Brian Chambers said the plan is a homerun for downtown Tucker.

“This is the kind of stuff I was dreaming about when I signed up for the DDA, seeing these visions come to life,” said Chambers, who called the project a good tool for promoting all Tucker has to offer.

Lee plans to present the plan again to City Council for approval, but the date is undetermined, the city said.

Last month, City Council announced the acquisition of the former library building at 4316 Church St. Assistant City Manager John McHenry said the building has asbestos and mold, and was never taken care of by DeKalb County. McHenry did not have information about the cost of remediation. The City is scheduling a closing date tentatively for this week, he said.

Pontoon Brewing Company may be moving into the Mountain Industrial Boulevard area. The brewery, which runs a taproom in Sandy Springs, is awaiting approval of a sewer capacity request to DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management.

“They’re in a challenging basin there, in the South Peachtree Creek basin, from a watershed standpoint,” said McHenry, adding Pontoon is very interested in Tucker despite challenges.

The response from DeKalb County Watershed is a large factor in Pontoon’s presence in Tucker. McHenry said Pontoon will determine the type of infrastructure needed to build to address sewer output.

“It’s unfortunately the painful component of DeKalb being under a federal consent decree in terms of sewage and sanitary sewer overflows,” he said. “It’s not ideal from an economic development standpoint, for sure.”

DeKalb Watershed has been in headlines about the decade-old settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

DDA will meet again in December.

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