Avondale Estates has hired its first city planner and economic development director, to help realize its dream of remaking its downtown.

Keri Stevens began the new job on July 13. Her first job will be to bring Avondale’s comprehensive plan up-to-date, while also reviewing plans for its lake district and Tudor Village downtown.

The small city has been working for nearly two years on how to best lure small shops and high-end housing and offerings that have taken off in neighboring Decatur.

Stevens has experience with both small and historic cities on that front. She most recently was a senior urban planner with Pond and Company, handling project management and work on a mixed-use overlay district for the city of Griffin.

Prior to that, she worked as city planner for Clarkston and Chamblee and also worked on the comprehensive plans for Johns Creek, Norcross and Roswell.

About the Author

Featured

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT