Powder Springs is among the winners of the 2020 Developments of Excellence Awards from the Atlanta Regional Commission.
The city and the city’s Downtown Development Authority won in the Great Place category, according to an ARC statement.
They used a Livable Centers Initiative implementation grant from the ARC to renovate and double the size of its Town Green area in the downtown.
Known now as Thurman Springs Park in honor of the city’s Mayor Al Thurman, the Town Green features a multi-use amphitheater, splash pad, play structure, seating areas, restrooms and a permanent ping-pong table.
The city’s project also includes the rehabilitation of three nearby buildings for restaurant and retail uses.
Powder Springs promotes walking and biking with a trailhead extension from Main Street along the park that one day will connect to the Silver Comet Trail.
More winners in three other categories were the North Point Placemaking Plan by the city of Alpharetta and MKSK Studios in Visionary Planning; Adamsville Place by the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership, Fulton County, Atlanta Heights Charter School and Laurel Street Residential in Innovative Development; Decatur East by Columbia Residential, Decatur Development Authority and MARTA in Livable Center and The Park at Highway 29 Ballfields by the city of Union City as an Honorable Mention.
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the official planning agency for the 10-county Atlanta Region, including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties as well as the city of Atlanta and 73 other cities.
