Letter from the Executive Director

For more than 20 years, the CID has implemented the latest concepts in local and regional planning to improve safety, travel and greenspace throughout our district. During this time, we have overseen the transformation of the form and function of the area.

As a result of improving everyday life and commerce for residents, visitors and business owners, we have encouraged growth and fostered regional impact. Last year, district property owners announced new developments, such as 1875 @ Barrett and Edison Chastain, as well as redevelopments of existing parcels like Chastain Center. These developments not only enhance the aesthetics of Town Center, but they also reflect the unique character that makes our area vibrant.

In 2019, our primary objective was completing our trail and corridor studies. By analyzing our present needs, we can now plan enhancements that will have a broad, significant impact on Town Center’s future. We also continued advancing the South Barrett Reliever, a vital infrastructure project that will invite all types of transportation to move freely throughout our district and make it more accessible. In addition, we developed community-centered initiatives that plan and build upon shared spaces to spark social engagement, such as Phase 2 of Aviation Park.

No matter what project we pursue, collaboration is at the core of what we do. We prioritize our partnerships with agencies, organizations and leaders who make our work more efficient, effective and prosperous than we could have alone.

Throughout all of these efforts, there is one common thread motivating us. Forging connections—whether by facilitating movement from place to place, encouraging engagement with our environment, or initiating collaboration with partners—is what inspires us to find new opportunities and creative ways to reach our goals. Connections guide our process and drive what makes our work successful: acknowledging how far we’ve come, concentrating on our current needs, and pursuing the possibilities ahead. Our improvement efforts, from planning to execution, all stem from connections—to our past, our present, and our future. 

By harnessing powerful ways to connect, we have set our sights on a bright future, as well as the path toward it. We will pursue this direction now and throughout the next 20 years. On behalf of our board, staff and the members we serve, thank you for your continued commitment to our collective work.

Sincerely,

Tracy Rathbone Styf
Executive Director, Town Center CID

Eye-catching new developments went vertical last year, sparking a trend of more high-end properties lining up in 2020.

Placemaking Enhancements

Keeping Our District Beautiful

Throughout the year, the CID coordinated dozens of repair and maintenance projects with Cobb County DOT and Georgia DOT. This collaboration is essential to meeting the immediate needs of our district’s daily drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Improvements to safety, surface and signage help prepare our roadways to be a platform for innovative communication and operational technology. By staying on top of needed enhancements, this work sets the stage for large scale efforts and investments in our future.

2019 Infrastructure Projects

Corridor Studies

Charting a Course to the Future

In our master plan, we identified several locations for desirable improvements, all of which would have a broad, significant impact on the district. Whichever projects we choose to pursue, they always begin with studies and planning.

Studies take into consideration community input, economic development, public space activation and implementation. They help us determine which assets we should maintain, enhance or develop in order to help us reach our vision for a cohesive, walkable, attractive district.

Looking at the recent and projected growth of Town Center’s jobs and population, it is important for us to take a look at our present state and our needs so we can more effectively plan—not just for today, but for the future.

Barrett Lakes Boulevard and Big Shanty Road Corridor Studies

In 2019, we studied two main corridors: Barrett Lakes Boulevard and Big Shanty Road. We found that the roadways’ current traffic patterns make movement difficult. So, we are focusing on providing solutions for accessibility, safety and connectivity through traffic improvements, access management, pedestrian/bike infrastructure and more.

In 2019, the studies community outreach comprised:

In order to help us establish these corridors as livable, walkable connections from KSU to nearby activity centers, the studies recommend nearly 70 projects totaling $168M that address:

Local and State Partnerships

Collaborating to Accomplish More

We are grateful for the fruitful partnerships we fostered throughout the year. By collaborating with other agencies and organizations, we have helped many regional initiatives make headway, such as the Cobb County bike share ordinance, smart tech and connected vehicle technology, the Cobb Greenway Plan, SPLOST planning and more.

The CID fosters the long-range vision for the area, but our role in the community is bolstered by the dedication of others. We continuously engage with other organizations in a synthesized effort to make our work more impactful for the greater region.

Thank you to all of our partners who helped us make a difference in 2019.

Award-winning Marketing

Internationally Recognized for Innovative Solutions and Brand Promotion

In 2019, our marketing efforts received five awards honoring recent projects. Our work was entered into an international applicant pool and was recognized for its excellence in marketing, communication, digital media and design. We partnered with 524 Creative marketing agency to develop creative material that reflects our significant influence and showcases our dedication to innovation.

Noonday Creek Trail 

Tapping Into Usage Trends

In 2019, the the CID and Alliance installed trail counters to gauge usage and habits of pedestrians and bicyclists along the 7-mile trail. The data collected will help us identify the most effective places to improve the trail.

We mounted counters in custom lock boxes at eight key points along the trail. The counters use infrared technology to detect changes in ambient heat and record traffic movement.

Noonday Creek Trail sees more than 2,000 average users every week. However, we found that this usage is not consistent throughout the length of the trail. 63.4% of trail traffic occurred on the east side between Bells Ferry Trailhead and I-575.

We pulled the first data set in June, with plans to continue monitoring the trail. More data will provide better accuracy and help guide future project needs, such as safer crossings and more parking opportunities.

2019 Noonday Creek Trail Counter Data

Click on the pins for more information.

Read our new blog series to learn more about micro-mobility trends!