A divided Roswell City Council voted to move ahead Monday night on a center city redevelopment project plan some three years in the making.
The council voted 4-2 to accept consultant jB+a’s master plan for the City Green development that would link the city’s municipal complex east of Ga. 9 to Heart of Roswell park, the Canton Street commercial area west of the highway and other residential and commercial developments.
The council also signed off 4-2 on a $555,000 contract to design and engineer phase one of the project. City spokeswoman Julie Brechbill said the amount includes design of the actual green, a promenade allowing residents to walk from the city hall parking lot across Ga. 9 to Canton Street, bathrooms and landscaping in the southwest part of the project. The design work is expected to take nearly a year.
During discussion, several council and audience members praised the plan as providing a central gathering space, a solid investment in the city’s infrastructure and a catalyst for economic development, while opponents feared the development could negatively impact the Roswell city square and would result in relocation of a war memorial among other concerns.
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