The long-term vision for Norcross includes wider sidewalks, more retail options along Buford Highway and possibly some high-quality rental housing downtown to lure young families.
Now the planners and designers must go back to the drawing board one more time before submitting their final draft to residents and the City Council.
Local architecture and engineering firm Pond and Co. unveiled the first draft of the city's Town Center plan Wednesday night to about 50 residents, business owners and city leaders. Project manager Joel Reed took the audience through two detailed concept maps, one for land use and the other for transportation.
The maps serve as a template for the Town Center area over the next 10 years, with proposals for bike paths, bus transfer points, greenspace and even a five-story mixed-use development.
"There's been a lot of big, great ideas," Reed told the audience. "But this is where it's going to be important to get your feedback on these concepts."
Pond and Co. were brought on in November to update Norcross' Town Center study from 2001. The study was funded by the Atlanta Regional Commission's Livable Cities Initiative (LCI) and reflected short- and long-term improvement goals.
Those goals included providing housing opportunities downtown; encouraging mixed-use development; expanding retail opportunities; increasing the city's sense of place and community identity; expanding sidewalks and improving pedestrian safety; and planning for future transit, commuter rail and parking needs.
Norcross officials decided to update the plan last year to reflect new economic factors and changes in the area, including downtown development and increased traffic along Buford Highway. Wednesday's meeting was the third meeting open to public, offering residents a chance to submit their final ideas and suggested tweaks to the plan.
"I love that we're giving a thought to the future," said Ruthy Lachman Paul, a Norcross resident since September. "And that we're getting to develop some of it ourselves."
Pond and Co. and Norcross leaders plan to host another community meeting May 23 to present the final draft. The plan will then be submitted to the Norcross City Council in July. If council members approve the plan, it will be sent to the Atlanta Regional Commission in the fall for a review and consideration for federal funding.
Federal funds would cover up to 80 percent of projects selected by the commission. Norcross would be responsible for the remaining 20 percent, with that money most likely coming from special purpose local option sales taxes, said Chris McCrary, Norcross' community development director.
"The city has to be prepared to pay their part, too," McCrary said. "But that’s 80 percent coming from the federal government. It's an incentive to get things done."
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