Gwinnett County officials and Georgia state leaders announced plans Tuesday for the construction of a 2,000-acre “knowledge community” along State Route 316.
Rowen, as the development is known, will bring together specialists in agriculture, medicine and environmental science in a combination of office space, research facilities, public spaces and residences, according to a press release from Gwinnett County.
The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners and Development Authority of Gwinnett County authorized $70 million in bonds during separate meetings on Tuesday to purchase most of the land for the development and fund construction costs.
Several of the Gwinnett commissioners expressed the importance of Rowen for the future of the county in their special called meeting on Tuesday.
District 3 Commissioner Tommy Hunter said initial discussions for the development began in 2013. In an interview following the meeting, Hunter said that Rowen is a manifestation of his vision for the future of Gwinnett County.
“To see it come through after all those years…all those years of dreaming about it and to be able to be a part of making it a reality is exciting,” said Hunter. “It’s exciting to know that we’ve put something into place that can be a generational thing spanning many lifetimes.”
The Development Authority agreed in their meeting to provide annual funds to the Rowen Foundation, as well. This foundation is a non-profit organization created to manage and oversee the development.
“The potential impact of Rowen is tremendous,” said Foundation Chair Sachin Shailendra. “Preliminary analysis shows we could see 18,500 diverse, quality jobs generated by 2035 from building this new hub for thinkers and entrepreneurs, and that number goes up exponentially as we move toward 2050.”
Rowen’s economic impact extends to beyond Gwinnett County. The site for the development is equidistant from the cities of Atlanta, Athens and Gainesville, which places Rowen within an easy driving distance from 50 Fortune 1,000 companies as well as an hour from more than 50 research and education institutions.
Due to the potential economic impact of the development, Governor Brian Kemp offered praise for the project.
“By planning to focus on three of our state’s historical economic drivers and areas of expertise — agriculture, the environment and medicine — Rowen has the potential to create a new chapter of discovery and innovation that will enrich the State of Georgia for many years to come,” said Kemp. “This project holds tremendous promise as an exceptional addition to our strong economic development portfolio.”
Out of the total $70 million in bonds, $60 million will go toward the purchase of land for development and $10 million toward the construction.
Much of the land for the development is still family-owned. To uphold this legacy, the foundation plans to incorporate nature into the design of the development by preserving hundreds of acres of greenspace.
The Rowen Foundation plans to purchase the land for the development between now and the end of the year. Planning for infrastructure and construction as well as global awareness building will take place in 2021, followed by transportation, wastewater and global recruitment in 2022.
Construction for the development is expected to begin in 2023.
