« High-rise condos coming to Gwinnett Place »

This is another story that has been sitting in my queue for a few weeks, but I thought it was important to highlight not just the exciting development news but primarily to point out what a breath of fresh air new Commissioner Shirley Lasseter has been.  Last month, the Gwinnett County Commission approved the "construction of twin residential highrises on the south side of [Gwinnett Place] mall."  I think this is an excellent project that could potentially spur revitalization in the decaying Gwinnett Place area.  For this reason, I cannot understand why Sears Roebuck opposed these towers.  The company would have apparently preferred the area to remain strictly zoned for businesses.  In fact, I would think that such a development would be beneficial to Sears by increasing potential customer traffic in the vicinity as well as making the overall mall area more attractive to shoppers that may now opt for Perimeter Mall or Mall of Georgia.  Regardless, I feel the company's opposition holds little merit as I fail to see a negative material impact on the retailer.  However, the biggest takeaway from this story is the job that Shirley Lasseter is doing.

You may recall that Lasseter's predecessor, Lorraine Green, had opposed a similar - if not the same - high-rise project in 2007.  Green, in her typical unfriendly position on private property rights, said at the time:

"We realize that [the area] has to have a little work done," Commissioner Lorraine Green said. "But ... if we let everybody come in and do hodgepodge developments with every 3 or 4 acres, we won't be better off."

Contrast this to the more reasonable (and common-sense) approach taken by Commissioner Lasseter:

District 1 Commissioner Shirley Lasseter said she backed the project “in hopes that this will bring a new start to that mall and to the CID and to Gwinnett County.”

Lasseter's view was echoed by Gwinnett Place CID executive director, Joe Allen.

What a refreshing change in District 1!  Commssioner Lasseter is thusfar showing courage in her decisions along with a definite appreciation for property rights along.  Her judgment in the high-rise proposal shows that she brings a healthy dose of common sense to boot!  To date, she has been a significant upgrade over Lorraine Green.  Keep up the good work, Shirley!

Comments

[GTL]

High rise condos at Gwinnett Place?

Doesn't Gwinnett have something like a three-year supply of new, empty, existing homes on the market?

I hope my bank doesn't finance these.