If developers and county officials were hoping to get a consensus opinion from the Mountain Park community on the proposed redevelopment of the former Olympic Tennis Center property, what they found instead Thursday night is that there is no consensus.
During a community meeting, some residents were overjoyed by the proposed development, because it would be anchored by a Costco-type business (even if the lead developer refuses to confirm it will be Costco).
Others found the concept lackluster and wanted to know why a better proposal wasn’t put together for what county officials had long described as a “gateway” project due to its location on the Gwinnett-DeKalb county line on U.S. Highway 78.
County staff, however, does support it.
“We’re excited,” Gwinnett County Economic Development Director Roman Dakare said. “Obviously we like this project, we support it. From Gwinnett County’s perspective, our stakeholders are our community. We work on your behalf and if we select something, it’s only because we think it fits the community.”
The proposed development, which is expected to cost about $125 million, is set to come before the Gwinnett County Planning Commission on May 2. It is expected to include a Costco, 255 apartments, some green space and three restaurants with drive-thru lanes. Renderings show one of the restaurants would be a Whataburger.
If the Planning Commission holds a public hearing and makes a recommendation at that time, the case will be forwarded to the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners at the end of May for another public hearing and final decision.
If it is approved, Gwinnett County would sell the land to its development partner, Fuqua Development. Jeff Fuqua, the company’s owner, said he expects construction would begin in the first quarter of 2024 and the businesses would be open about a year later.
“Retail is…
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