The Town Center Community Improvement District announced a virtual public meeting to learn more about the Chastain Road LCI Corridor Study. on Thursday July 23, 2020 from 12-1 p.m.

The meeting will be conducted via Zoom, and you can register at this link.

Gresham Smith, the firm chosen to conduct the study, will provide information about the current conditions on the corridor, and will gather input from the public.

The Town Center Community Improvement District website describes the study as follows:

The purpose of the Chastain Road LCI Corridor Study is to identify strategies that will improve the safety and efficiency of all modes of traffic along Chastain Road, with a focus on creating a walkable environment and identifying catalysts for vibrant, public-oriented development. The study will also formulate concepts for the streetscape, design guidelines, and a signage and wayfinding program. The recommended improvements will encourage the safe and efficient movement of pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles in, through, and around the Chastain Road corridor.

This study is being done in support of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) Program, which seeks to increase the use of alternatives to driving alone by developing transportation projects and other programs to improve accessibility, expand mixed-uses, utilize transit and support further development in the study area. The study will consider and evaluate potential redevelopment opportunities and recommendations for improvements to safety and walkability in support of the LCI program.

The study will be made possible by a $150,000 grant from the Livable Centers Initiative of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), given to the Town Center Improvement District.

The scope of the study will be the portion of Chastain Road within the Town Center Community Improvement District and between Big Shanty and Bells Ferry roads. It includes TownPark and parts of Kennesaw State University.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to study what the future could look like in our rapidly growing community,” said Tracy Rathbone Styf, executive director of TCCID in an earlier press release announcing the project. “Since 2010, the number of people living within the TCCID has increased by 27 percent, and infrastructure improvements need to be made to the corridor to adjust to the growth we’re seeing. Our goal is to work with residents and the consultants at Gresham Smith to develop a plan for a safer, more vibrant corridor that benefits the community at large.”

About Gresham Smith

If you want to take a look at Gresham Smith, the firm conducting the study, and see some of their past and current projects, visit their website at https://www.greshamsmith.com

The “About” page on their site describes the firm as follows:

Gresham Smith is a team of diligent designers, creative problem-solvers, insightful planners and seasoned collaborators who work closely with clients to improve the cities and towns we call home. Our employees are diverse in experience, yet we all have one thing in common: genuine care for each other, our partners and the outcome of our work.

From roadways and pathways that connect people and places, to hospitals that promote well-being and recovery, to corporate campuses that encourage productivity and teamwork, we have the pleasure of designing communities’ most vital institutions and infrastructure.

About the Town Center CID

The Town Center Community Improvement District (TCCID) was the recipient of the ARC grant enabling this project.

The TCCID is described on their website as follows:

The Town Center CID formed in 1997 to foster the massive growth potential of Atlanta’s suburban business center. Since then, we have introduced the latest concepts in regional planning to improve everyday life, travel and business. Our district’s residents, employees and business owners deserve smart, sensible and impactful improvements, so we find solutions that reduce traffic, raise economic value, enhance quality of life, and create clean, safe spaces where people want to be.

The CID is a self-taxing district of commercial property owners. It is run by an eight-member board and an expert team who drive well-researched projects that improve the Town Center community, its infrastructure, quality of life and beautification. The CID then leverages the district tax to finance these projects, which may not otherwise receive government funding.

You can read more about them at their website at http://towncentercid.com/