The city of Clarkston is hosting a ceremony for the completion of the streetscape, according to a press release. The ribbon cutting will celebration the project that also features:

  • sidewalks
  • decorative street lights
  • pergolas and benches
  • resurfaced E. Ponce Street and Norman Market
  • decorative MARTA bus shelters
  • hundreds of new trees and landscaping

Plan to join city officials at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3 in Downtown Clarkston at Refuge Coffee on Market Street. Come out to celebrate the years spent on the project. The evening will include food, a fame truck, lighting up of the streets and a fireworks show.

The city of Clarkston became eligible to receive up to $4 million dollars in federal funds, administered through the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) in 2006. In 2011, the Clarkston City Council authorized staff to begin the process to acquire the matching funds required to make this project a reality.

Since April 2014, a committee comprised of community residents, property owners, businesses, non-profit agencies, institutions and elected officials, with a vested interest in the streetscape and pedestrian enhancements in Clarkston, have worked with the city’s consultant team (AMEC), to develop draft concept designs for the project.

Streetscape improvements and pedestrian walkway enhancements goals established by the mayor and city council included: enhancements along sections of E. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Market Street, Church Street and Norman Road, turning nondescript roads into successful streets that create a sense of place; creating a foundation and catalyst for civic and economic revitalization in the town center area and city gateways; creating an attractive environment and positive tone to encourage business and consumer investment in the town center area and leaving a legacy for future generations.

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Pedestrians comfort each other on Clifton Road near Houston Mill Road after an "active shooter" incident was reported in the area of Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday, August 8, 2025. (Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC