Dunwoody buys 9 acres for $5.7M to build new park

This is the Vermack Road property that Dunwoody agreed to purchase last week.

Credit: City of Dunwoody

Credit: City of Dunwoody

This is the Vermack Road property that Dunwoody agreed to purchase last week.

Dunwoody recently purchased about nine acres of greenspace to create a new park.

The city’s Public Facilities Authority, which consists of City Council members, purchased two residential parcels on Vermack Road, according to a news release last Tuesday. The parcels, located at 4809 and 4819 Vermack Road, is about 9.3 acres and includes an open field and wooded area.

“When I heard these parcels were available, I saw the opportunity to preserve this greenspace,” Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch said in the release. “I look forward to working with the community to create something fabulous.”

The purchase, which will cost about $5.7 million, will remain pending for 60 days before it becomes finalized, the city said. During that time, an environmental study, appraisal and title research will take place.

The purchase will be financed using the Georgia Municipal Association’s Brick and Mortar Installment Sale Agreement Financing Program, which is designed to help cities purchase land for new city buildings, parks, first responders and law enforcement. The city used the same financing structure to purchase its City Hall in 2016.

During a meeting last night, the #Dunwoody Public Facilities Authority, made up of members of the Dunwoody City Council,...

Posted by City of Dunwoody - Government on Tuesday, April 13, 2021

“We’re always looking for opportunities to chip away at Dunwoody’s land deficit for parks,” Brent Walker, director of Dunwoody Parks and Recreation, said in the release. “There is a lot of potential with this property for nature trails and open play areas.”

Once the acquisition is finalized, the city will have more than 200 acres of park space. The city currently manages 13 parks and recreation facilities, including planned parks at three other locations.

Further information on the city’s plans for the Vermack Road site have not been released. For more information on the city’s parks, visit dunwoodyga.gov/government/departments/parks-and-recreation.

Follow DeKalb County News on Facebook and Twitter