Last week in Gwinnett

Busy week last week and I didn't have time to post to the Buzz.  I wanted to take a minute to highlight a couple of local stories of interest.

Gambling Complex Proposed for Norcross

Developer Dan O'Leary is seeking to build a $1 billion complex near Norcross "that would include a hotel, theater and a game floor with 7,500 video lottery machines."  I don't generally support gambling in Georgia but, even if I did, video lottery machines?  While I am not an avid gambler, I have been to real casinos and I cannot even fathom how these type of machines could compete with gambling options in nearby states.  Seems to me that the clientele for such an establishment would be those hard-up for any gambling fix.  As such, I would question whether it would ultimately generate the revenue that the developer is projecting.

Mitt Romney Hosts Pancake Brunch at Brookwood

On Sunday, Republican (sic) candidate Mitt Romney hosted a pancake brunch at Brookwood High School.  I am not sure whether I should dislike Romney more for hosting an event at Brookwood - I still don't like them 20+ years removed from Central Gwinnett! - or dislike Brookwood more for hosting Romney.  Nevertheless, whether you like or dislike Romney - I say dislike because I consider him a full-blooded RINO in the vein of Bob Dole and John McCain - his visit to Gwinnett coupled with the recent rally by Newt Gingrich at Collins Hill High School demonstrate the importance of our county in tomorrow's presidential primary.

Another item from last week is that I had lunch with District 3 Commissioner Mike Beaudreau.  Go ahead - pick yourself up off the floor.  No blood was shed, no screams or shouts were heard from our corner of the restaurant.  We had a very nice visit.  Later this week, I will post some thoughts on Commissioner Beaudreau and the District 3 commission race in light of our meeting.  I think you will be surprised at what I have to say.

Capitalism to clean up Green's Corners

This bit of news came out last week but I wanted to highlight it for a great point is makes about America's capitalist system.  Walmart will redevelop the Green's Corners shopping center at Jimmy Carter Blvd. and Rockbridge Rd. in Norcross.  That news, in and of itself, is not all that noteworthy.  Retail development, even in this economy, is hardly a earth-shattering event.  However, at a time when we consistently see attacks on private industry from the likes of the Occupy Wall Street protestors and even our President, this project highlights the benefit private industry offers us all the way down on the community level.  

Green's Corners used to be a significant shopping destination in Norcross.  Now, Green's Corners has become a "troubled shopping center."  It's previous anchor tenant, K-Mart, closed and the complex "has become a haven for litter and crime."  In the words of an attorney representing Walmart, Green's Corners is a "mess."  So Walmart, the "evil corporation" that so many liberals love to hate, is going to step forward and clean up the mess.  

Is Walmart going to undertake this project out of the kindness of its heart and solely for the good of the community?  Of course not.  They are going to do this in a dastardly effort to earn a...*gasp*...profit.  Walmart obviously sees an opportunity to make money by rehabilitating Green's Corners and opening one their often attacked SuperCenters there.  In the process, they will be tearing down two night clubs that have become a thorn in the side of Gwinnett police.

The point here is that, even if area residents never set foot into the new Walmart or spend one dollar at the store, they will benefit as a result of Walmart's effort to successfully compete and be profitable in a free market economy.  The next time you hear a quasi-socliast liberal railing about all the bad that corporations do, remember, that, while their record is certainly not spotless, corporations bring far more direct and indirect good to our society than they do bad.  Just ask residents near Green's Corners in a couple of years.

County Commission Citizens' Forum tonight

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners will host a Citizens' Forum tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Lucky Shoals Park Community Recreation Center at 4651 Britt Road in Norcross.  The forum will provide an opportunity to meet commissioners and for attendees to offer thoughts on how the Board can meet the needs of Gwinnett residents and businesses.  The session will inlude a brief presentation on the financial outlook for Gwinnett County.

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QualTex to bring 125 jobs to Norcross

Blood testing firm, QualTex Laboratories, has announced that it will expand its operations to Norcross.  The expansion will create 125 new jobs in Gwinnett.  According to CEO-designate Norman D. Kalmin, the company expects "to hire highly trained, expert clinical laboratory scientists, certified lab technicians, quality specialists, materials management personnel and general management personnel."

Update on the Gabe Lyons event at GACS

The Gabe Lyons event at GACS has been moved to February 11, 2010.  All other information remains the same.

Upcoming events at GACS

Greater Atlanta Christian School will host two upcoming events that will be open to the public.

On Thursday, January 28 at 9A, author Gabe Lyons will speak about his book UnChristian.

On Sunday, January 31 at 3P, the school will host an Open House for prospective families.

Both events will take place at the GACS campus at 1575 Indian Trail Rd. in Norcross.  For questions or more information, please visit the GACS website or call 770-243-2000.

Lynette Howard to run for District 2 seat

It's 2010 and that means I am hoping to get things back on track at the Gwinnett Buzz!  This year promises to have quite a bit happening in Gwinnett County, not the least of which is an election in which two Gwinnett County Commission seats are up for grabs.  Fittingly, my first post of the new year is an update on who is going to be running!

For the District 2 commission seat being vacated by Bert Nasuti, Gwinnett planning commissioner Lynette Howard has entered the race.  Howard is the former president of the United Peachtree Corners Civic Association.  She will run as a Republican and will face Jose Perez in the primary.

Howard will host a meet-and-greet from 2-4 PM on January 23 at the Norcross Depot.  Her campaign website can be found at www.electlynette.com.

Could the AJC move its headquarters to Gwinnett?

The Atlanta Business Chronicle posted an article today noting the possibility that the AJC could move its headquarters to Gwinnett.  According to AJC publisher, Michael Joseph, in an internal email:

The cost of operating the downtown building is very high. Since moving production out to Gwinnett, we occupy less than 30 percent of the facility. As a result, the expense to operate the building is exorbitant. No decision has been made at this time, but we are looking at options including maintaining our current downtown location or relocating to a new, smaller site in the greater Atlanta area. I will keep you informed and share any updates on this issue.

A couple of years ago, the newspaper located its new printing presses on Best Friend Road in Norcross.  Other locations outside of downtown but not in Gwinnett may also be under consideration.

Norcross drops annexation plans

This story is a bit dated but, given that I was complaining recently about Norcross' plan to expand via annexation, I felt it was only fair that I point out that the plan has been dropped.  I particularly appreciate the comments of Mayor Bucky Johnson (who I would like to note was the Georgia Tech band director when I spent my one week in the Tech band as a freshman!):

However, Mayor Bucky Johnson, who had met with members of the United Peachtree Corners Civic Association and reported their concerns to the council, said “alienating large groups of people isn’t necessarily a good thing.”

Norcross waste transfer station headed to court

The Catholic Archdiosese of Atlanta is suing Gwinnett County, saying the county is "abusing its authority in approving rezoning for the site [for a waste transfer station] on Shackleford Road adjacent to Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Mission."  Hard to not see this one coming.  As I noted previously, this is a tough case in which to see who has the strongest property rights claim.  I can see sound arguments from both the church and the developer.  This should be interesting to follow in the courts.  Hard to imagine this is the type of thing that can be settled: the church would have to accept being beside the waste facility while the developer would have to freely relinquish his economic rights to develop the property.  We can only hope that the outcome of the case sets a precedent that protects private property rights even if such an outcome is unpopular with many people.