Town Green Groundbreaking Scheduled Later This Month

AVONDALE ESTATES, GA — The city of Avondale Estates first kicked off the design process for the Town Green project in 2017. Four years later, it's finally coming to fruition.

The city will break ground on the $5.7 million, 2-acre project June 30, city officials announced Thursday. The project is expected to be an economic driver for downtown, as well as a gathering place for the community.

Project plans include a park, event pavilion, walking paths, intimate gardens, open fields for passive recreation, provisions for food trucks, a children's area, a dog playground and other amenities for residents, businesses and visitors, the city said in a news release.

"At the end of the last recession, leadership had the foresight to gain control of land at post-recession values," the release said. "Adding green space to the downtown’s infrastructure will be a boost for quality of life in Avondale and serve as a catalyst for future development."

The overall design process started with a community-based competition for the best potential layout and concept. Sherri Locke, an Avondale Estates resident and architect with Stevens and Wilkinson, was the winner.

"Building off Locke’s concept, architects from Stevens and Wilkinson and landscape architects from Site Solutions further refined the concept into its current iteration with feedback and participation from residents and other stakeholders," the release said.

The construction phase is estimated to take about nine months, and the project is funded through a bond anticipation note, Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds and the Downtown Development Authority.

"This project sets a high bar for quality development in downtown Avondale Estates going forward and establishes the foundation for an expanded downtown," the release said. "In turn, it is the catalyst for a new Avondale Estates community where property values have already steadily increased in the downtown area as the proposal has moved from paper to breaking ground."

Read more: Park, Event Pavilion To Be Built In Avondale Estates