The city of Chamblee was recently named an exceptional merit award winner by The Atlanta Regional Commission during the 2018 Developments of Excellence awards at the agency’s State of the Region Breakfast, according to a press release. The awards recognize the developments and places in the 10-county Atlanta region that are improving quality of life for residents.

Chamblee began the process in 2001 with a Livable Centers Initiative plan that sought to transform the area surrounding Chamblee’s MARTA station, which at the time was dominated by vacant and underutilized commercial spaces and parking lots.

“Today, Chamblee’s Town Center is a vibrant, walkable downtown that realizes the city’s LCI plan and plays into its strength of being adjacent to transit. New streetscapes along Peachtree Road, Pierce Drive and Peachtree Boulevard include landscaping and traffic calming. The Chamblee Rail Trail connects the Mid-City District to nearby Keswick Park and will eventually link a network of regional trails” said Mayor Eric Clarkson. “These amenities have attracted a great deal of new development and adaptive reuse of historic structures, including bustling restaurants, retail and residential development.”

The award also honors Mercy Park, a development that integrates healthcare and community life. Mercy Park is a four-acre campus in downtown Chamblee. It brings together a 79-unit senior residential community and a nonprofit health clinic that serves both residents and the general public. The residential community is reserved for individuals 62 years of age and older, people with disabilities and veterans. The health clinic serves residents and the surrounding community with pediatric and adult primary care, behavioral health and dental services.

Mercy Park engages the community with buildings that are set close to the street and within walking distance of transit, the Chamblee Rail Trail retail and other services. In addition, the development is LEED certified, and the residential component generates a significant amount of its electricity onsite with roof-mounted solar panels.

Information: www.chambleega.gov or 770-986-5010.