Chamblee Buys 16 Acres For Park Land

DUNWOODY, GA —From The City of Chamblee: The City of Chamblee recently acquired more than 16 acres of land for park space bringing its total of park land to more than 104 acres. The former Jim Hearn Golf Center, located at 4445 Buford Highway, was purchased for $4.5M through a low-interest lease program through the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA).

The addition of new parks and recreation space was a key task identified by residents in the City’s 2015
Comprehensive Plan. Additionally, efforts from the 2016 Parks Master Plan process identified Chamblee
residents’ desire for additional park space featuring amenities like new recreational opportunities, such as
soccer and trail connectivity. In fact the study found:

• Soccer ranked as the second most wanted sport in which residents would like their children to
  participate;
• Soccer also ranked second, behind baseball, as a sport they currently participate in; and
• For adults, soccer ranked fifth as the most common sport that adults participate in.

The Hearn property will be used as active park space and developed into several soccer and multi-use fields
and walking trails adjacent to Dresden Park. Chamblee has issued a Request for Proposals for the
development, maintenance, operation and financing of this complex. This investment by the City is designed to create premier field space and expand the athletic offerings available to residents. The secondary goal of the project is to spur additional private development along the Buford Highway corridor.

“The purchase of the property, combined with the existing Dresden Park, creates a 40-acre contiguous park amenity in the area. This is an investment in the Buford Highway corridor that could spark further private development,” says Chamblee Mayor Eric Clarkson.

For more information on Chamblee Parks and Recreation or to view the city’s RFP, please visit www.chambleega.gov.

Image courtesy of The City of Chamblee