Suburb revitalizes community center
Smyrna, Ga. – The suburban Atlanta community, like many older existing communities on the edges of the nation’s cities, was being passed over as Atlanta’s suburbs grew. Additionally, growth on its arterial roads was draining the downtown of its economic life. Rather than play dead, however, the town decided to take action by establishing a new town center that would be the focal point for the community.
Using just two new community buildings, a library and a community center, Mayor Max Bacon and other local officials restructured the town’s downtown, creating a new Main Street with a Town Green and a duck pond. The restructuring provided spin-off opportunities for private developers, who responded with office, retail and housing developments. That, in turn, sparked interest in building a new city hall and public safety building.
Now, new development has tripled, and average new housing sales prices have doubled. Town Center festivals draw up to 15,000 people. Additionally, the new growth has allowed local officials to lower taxes every year since development began.
Last November, the town and Sizemore Floyd Architects, the Atlanta firm that helped plan and design the Town Center, won the Urban Land Institute’s award for Best Public Project of 1997. As a result, Smyrna’s bond rating has risen to the highest in the state.
The design created “a new heart and soul for the community,” according to Robert Nilsson, a member of the awards jury. The jury concluded that “Smyrna’s success represents a powerful example for many decimated suburban communities across America.