The city of Flowery Branch has reached a formal agreement with a developer for the construction of two major projects in and near the city's downtown area.
City Manager Bill Andrew said Thursday that the city has been working to redevelop a number of properties owned by the city in the downtown area for several years. He said the city has agreed to work with The Residential Group, LLC to build a two-story commercial and residential building on Main Street.
The building currently on the south side of Main Street has been occupied by some businesses and was the former home of the Flowery Branch Police Department and city hall before the city's current facility on Church Street was completed in 2018. Andrew said the new structure will be a key piece for the downtown redevelopment.
"I think the city has permitted close to 1,200 residential units within a mile, basically, of this site on Main Street and so we're really thinking that the energy of Main Street with some new shops and restaurants will help existing businesses and create a whole new action going on downtown," Anglin said. "We're really excited about it."
The current plans shown by the city and The Residential Group show the lower floor of the building being occupied by businesses and the upper level housing 14 residential units with parking beside and behind the building. As part of the agreement, the city will contribute $2 million from the Tax Allocation District to the development of the commercial portion of the building and will retain possession of the lower floor. The Residential Group will have ownership and fully fund the top floor of the building.
The Residential Group is currently set to build a large apartment development on Phil Niekro Boulevard near I-985 that city officials say will be connected to the downtown area by a bike and walking trail. That development and the Main Street building are expected to be completed by Summer of 2021.
Andrew said demolition of the current building on Main Street could start as soon as August of this year. No one spoke against the agreement in a public hearing held Thursday and the city council voted unanimously to authorize Mayor Mike Miller to enter the agreement.
The two developments represent what Andrew calls "phase one" of the downtown redevelopment, with several other projects planned for future years, including an improved facility for the city's farmers market on Railroad Avenue.
