Coolray Field and the Gwinnett Center/Arena recognized as "Deals of the Decade"

ATLANTA - The Gwinnett Center/Arena and the Gwinnett Stadium (now known as "Coolray Field") were recognized as co-winners of the Atlanta Business Chronicle's "Deals of the Decade" on Thursday, March 4th at the Chronicle's annual dinner, held at the Atlanta History Center. The dual projects were named as the winners in the Mixed-Use/Special-Use Category. <br /> <br /> Awards were chosen by Atlanta Business Chronicle editors, who identified the top trends that shaped Atlanta's real estate market between 2000 and 2009, as well as the companies and individuals who played the greatest roles in those trends. <br /> <br /> "One of the most notable aspects of winning this prestigious award was that all of the nominees for this mixed-use, special-use award were from Gwinnett County. That was a singularly impressive fact about this whole event, and something everyone in Gwinnett should be proud of," said Preston Williams, Managing Director of the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau/Gwinnett Center. Other finalists for the award included the downtown and community development efforts of Duluth and Suwanee, as well as the dual retail developments of Mall of Georgia and Discover Mills. <br /> <br /> Williams, who accepted the award on behalf of the GCVB and Gwinnett County, noted that "Gwinnett County should also be immensely proud of both the county leadership and vision, both from Chairman Hill and Chairman Bannister, as well as our county commissioners, over the past ten years. These two venues not only promise to be a long-term boon for our county residents, but have also become a destination for metro Atlanta and out-of-town visitors." <br /> <br /> Williams also lauded the stewardship of the GCVB Board of Directors, who led the development of both Gwinnett Center/Arena, as well as Gwinnett Stadium. Developer Brand Properties is currently developing the Village at Gwinnett Stadium, a 73-acre retail project <br /> <br /> North Johnson, the new General Manager of the Gwinnett Braves, was pleased by the award as well as the possibilities that the Village at Gwinnett Stadium will generate. <br /> <br /> "The Gwinnett Braves were delighted that the Atlanta Business Chronicle recognized Gwinnett County, the Arena and Coolray Field with this prestigious award. Both venues are state-of-the-art destinations, and add such tremendous value and great quality of life to the entire North Metro area. With the new Brand Properties' development on the horizon, we feel confident that we'll be on the forefront of entertainment for many years to come."