By Mark Woolsey
The mayor of Smyrna is nothing if not bullish about the future of nearly 60 thousand people who call the suburban city home.
Mayor Derek Norton updated the state of the city in a Wednesday evening address at the Smyrna Community Center, covering everything from recreational projects coming online – to a 9-acre tract of the former Smyrna Baptist Church which is being studied for best possible uses and will swing into planning and construction sometime after the church vacates its current home. (The building of a new church is underway off Atlanta Road.)
Plans are being readied to turn the chapel into an art and performance facility.
The thread of the evening was ” Why Smyrna?” and Norton closely stuck to that phrase in ticking off examples of the city’s progress “in a tightly-knit community that stands up.”
He covered promising metrics. The city has kept its Triple-A bond rating for 18 years now. The community plays host to 94 thousand visitors monthly. A downtown retailer estimates business is up 10 to 15 percent over last year.
Norton spoke extensively about downtown’s prospects in an upbeat style. City officials and residents alike are looking at 9 acres of land freed up by the move of the Smyrna Baptist Church. He marveled that there were more than 17 thousand responses from locals when asked to submit ideas for various uses of the acreage, including a hotel, retail, recreational suggestions, and more ideas. Norton also said that more than 70 developers have indicated an interest in locating downtown.
He also announced a significant project aimed at getting people to move more quickly and safely-while refreshing a key corridor.
The Mayor alluded to planned improvements to South Cobb Drive between Windy Hill and Concord roads.
“Design concept for this project include additional travel lanes, access lanes, landscaped mediums, additional traffic signals, pocket parks and additional pedestrian and bike trails,” said the Mayor.
The Mayor added that $28 million of the $35 million-dollar estimated cost of the project has been secured. But there’s no word on when dirt might start turning. “It’s a project that will attract significant redevelopment interest to this main artery in our city…creating a thriving corridor and halo effect for the surrounding neighborhoods for years to come.”
Norton waxed eloquent about several aquatics and recreational facilities in various stages of development: being planned, funding sought, under construction or just shiningly new for residents to enjoy.
The municipal official was particularly shining and happy about Rose Garden Park, which Norton says is in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. The park will have a new playground, volleyball court and pavilion. Construction is expected to finish by the end of the year.
In terms of the old Emory Adventist Hospital, which the city acquired after the health-care provider backed out of plans to create a hospital, officials are in talks with a developer to put together a public-private partnership for a mix of retail and rec.
There’s also the Campbell Middle School recreation project with such items as updated track and field facilities, a baseball field, pickleball court and an adaptive sports field. Construction is expected to begin next year.
And on a strictly personal level, Norton lauded the outreach of such non-profit groups as Support Smyrna, which gives bicycles to needy kids. (He and his wife founded the charity.)
He said that Smyrna community events are abounding, with the annual Black and Hispanic heritage events and the Jonquil festival sharing the spotlight with more frequent gatherings such as food truck Tuesdays.
All that makes for an attractive package, he indicated, with the city showing a significant number of young families with children and senior citizens as well, as the city was named the top city in Georgia for people who have retired.
Why Smyrna? Norton wrapped up his speech the way he started; with a tip of the hat to his city and its residents. “Smyrna offers a small town vibe that’s unmatched.”