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Avondale Estates City Commission to discuss town green commercial development proposal

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Avondale Estates City Commission to discuss town green commercial development proposal

Avondale Estates Mayor Jonathan Elmore, former Commissioner Adela Yelton, City Manager Patrick Bryant, Mayor Pro Tem Brian Fisher and Commissioners Lionel Laratte, Dee Merriam and Lisa Shortell celebrate the beginning of construction on the town green at the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, June 30. Photo by Zoe Seiler.
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This story has been updated.

Avondale Estates, GA — The Avondale Estates City Commission will meet on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 5:30 p.m. for a regular meeting immediately followed by a work session. The City Commission meetings are held in person at City Hall, 21 N. Avondale Plaza, and will be available via Zoom.

To join the meeting via Zoom, click here. To join the meeting via phone, dial 301.715.8592 and use webinar ID: 838 7197 5072.

To view the meeting agendas, click here.

During the work session, Jerry Miller of Fabric Developer will present a proposal for the commercial development of the town green.

The Avondale Estates City Commission broke ground on the town green project on June 30, alongside City Manager Patrick Bryant, Downtown Development Authority Chair Dave Deiters and some of the consultants who have worked on the project along the way. Construction is ongoing and work is anticipated to be finished in several months.

The project includes the construction of four-acres of the land. About two acres will be a park and the other two acres will be an interim solution and potential commercial solution. The site is located along Highway 278/ North Avondale Road between Lake and Oak Streets.

The original scope of the project included the mixed-use commercial development, but Bryant said at the Feb. 10 City Commission meeting that the commercial element is not feasible at this time. In its place, the developers planned to construct an open-air green space that can be used as for things like food trucks or event platforms.

Fabric Developers’ proposal has two parts — a canopy-covered multi-use pavilion and parking area, and a restaurant-oriented retail commercial development that will include extensive outdoor dining, sundry retail and office uses.

The multi-use pavilion area would be used as a community facility for use as a home for the Avondale Farmers Market, food truck parking and gravel parking for events, according to the proposal. Fabric and Vantage Realty Partners will manage the construction of this project.

Additionally, the board will discuss the draft of the comprehensive development plan. The plan is updated every five years per state law. The comprehensive plan is a long-range action plan that guides investment, allocation of services and development. City staff, with help from the Atlanta Regional Commission, has updated the Avondale Estates’ comprehensive plan.

The comprehensive plan highlights the city’s vision, goals, accomplishments and work plan. According to the goals, the city is working to capitalize on the qualities and values that have made for a successful community.

According to the agenda packet, those goals include:

— Encouraging environmental and economic sustainability and resiliency,

— Strengthening existing businesses and driving sustainable economic development by leveraging the city’s unique identity and location in the region and continuing to develop a walkable downtown, and

— Promoting an active, healthy community with equitable and inclusive opportunities for recreation and the enjoyment of the outdoors.

Some highlights of the work plan include creating a public art program, implementing the stormwater capital improvements program, and exploring mechanisms to encourage and introduce green infrastructure.

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