City Government
Peachtree Corners Awards ARPA Funds to 11 Nonprofits, Here’s Who’s Received It
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has taken an unprecedented toll on all aspects of life, perhaps one area that is feeling the sting especially hard is nonprofits. The need for their services has doubled, or even tripled in some cases, but donations, government funding and volunteers have diminished exponentially. That’s why the signing of the federal American Rescue Plan Act on March 11, 2021 brought new hope to many whose mission is to bring hope to others. (What is ARPA?)
With its share of the $1.9 trillion allotment, the city of Peachtree Corners diligently set about devising a fair and equitable way to distribute the funds.
“We have the ability to use some funds internally, not just for nonprofits,” said Louis Svehla, spokesman for the city. “We’re also using the funds to help businesses and individuals directly.”
Although Peachtree Corners is no stranger to providing support for worthwhile causes, the $16,395,722 it received (half in July 2021 and the remainder sometime this year) and guidelines for disbursement were a lot for the city government to handle. It eventually split the funds into four piles:
- The Nonprofit Emergency Relief Fund is to assist Peachtree Corners residents who have been severely impacted by COVID-19. The funds are to be awarded to qualifying nonprofits that will distribute them to individuals.
- The Nonprofit Operating Fund is to assist qualified nonprofits that have been especially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with funding for operating costs.
- The Business Assistance Fund is to assist small businesses within the Peachtree Corners city limits that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.
- The Capital Project Fund is to assist businesses and nonprofit organizations in modifying their facilities to address COVID-19 prevention measures such as upgrading ventilation systems, enabling social distancing, etc. or improving the exterior areas of their business.
The Nonprofit Operating Fund was allotted over $1.5 million with 11 organizations receiving funding.
“We hired a consultant to help with the process,” said Svehla. The city used Alabama-based Azimuth Grants, a grant consulting firm with offices in Atlanta. A women-owned business established in 2010, Azimuth helped the city develop an application and a rubric to ensure that the process put money in the hands of the most-deserving organizations.
“It was very in-depth,” said Svehla. “It took two months to score the applications and review the narratives.”
Doling Out the Dollars
The 40-page document seemingly left no stone unturned to vet the 100-plus organizations that applied. Although the total amount awarded seems huge, the need is greater. And not all the nonprofits have their operations inside the Peachtree Corners city limits. What was important was that they provide services to city residents.
John Manning Playground Ribbon-Cutting & Dedication at the Robert D. Fowler Family Y FPY Manning Playground 
Katie Furlough, executive director of the Robert D. Fowler Family YMCA, receiving the grant from he city, Mkayor Mike Mason. Also pictured City Councilmembers Alex Wright, Eric Christ and YMCA board member Scott Hilton.
The awards to local nonprofits were handed out last month. One of the first to receive a big check was the Robert D. Fowler YMCA with $500,000. On Friday, January 28, Mayor Mike Mason and Councilmembers Eric Christ and Alex Wright presented it during the YMCA’s 25 Year Anniversary Celebration.
Although the Y received the lion’s share of the pot, its need is by no means annihilated.
“We are so thankful, and just so blessed to have received the money that we did,” said Katie Furlough, executive director of Robert D. Fowler Family YMCA.
She went on to explain that plans for the money are twofold. “Some is going to go to facility improvements that were deferred because of the cost of improvements during COVID. … Like everyone else, we had to shift some things around when COVID happened, so that we could really serve the community in ways that it needed at that time. … There were some projects that we moved to future plan so that we could use those resources in different ways.”
Now that it appears the pandemic is headed in the other direction, or at least stabilizing, the Y will replace and repair the whirlpool and get it up and running. As for the rest of the funds, Furlough said the leadership wants to get feedback from the community.
“What can we do to better impact the community and serve Peachtree Corners? And the people in need, really with a focus on physical activity?” she said.
The list of possibilities includes extending the backpack program where kids go home with food to tide them and their family over during the weekend. Many students rely on a free breakfast and lunch, and Saturdays and Sundays can become hungry days. By the same token, the Y is also considering expanding the summer lunch program as well.
“We also, in 2021, served 50 kids with safety around water,” said Furlough. “Drowning is the second leading cause of death for kids under 12.”
The grant could also provide scholarships to kids in the camp program, sports programs, and/or after school programs. “Providing opportunities for kids to build connections and build friends, to have a sense of belonging and a sense of achievement, and to create strong relationships with peers and adults is an important part of what we do. And some kids aren’t able to do that, or some families aren’t able to do that on their own,” she said.
And of course, funds could also go toward activities for seniors. “We’re trying to really create a space for seniors to feel like they belong and have a sense of community because we know that when seniors experience things like loss of a partner, or just changes that happen, that can be lonely, and that loneliness really creates a lot of health concerns for people.”
So even though the huge award from the city is a blessing, the need is ever-present.
Smaller Awards Still Make Big Impacts
The same holds true for other area nonprofits.
Although Rainbow Village and the Norcross High School Foundation received the smallest amounts of the ARPA funds, both have big plans for stretching the dollars.
The NHS Foundation for Excellence was awarded $30,000 from the City of Peachtree Corners which it will use to better support NHS students and families.
“The Foundation is grateful for the support of the City of Peachtree Corners to help further our mission of positively impacting all students by cultivating excellence in academics, arts, and athletics,” said organizers in a statement.
Its mission is accomplished in part with a tutoring and mentoring program for at-risk 9th and 10th grade students that meets after school.
Rev Melanie Conner with kids in the Academy after a Black History Moment 
Rev. Melanie Conner and Dr. Calvin J Watts (Superintendent – Gwinnett County Public Schools) 
Melanie Moxie Award 
MelanieConner on Radio X
Similarly, Rainbow Village, is grateful for the award. “Every dollar counts for us. My staff and I say that all the time,” said Rev. Melanie Conner, director. “So, whether it’s a small or large gift, it’s always greatly appreciated.”
It offers a different kind of community support. “Primarily we provide help, hope, healing and housing for families that are experiencing homelessness,” she said. “On our campus, we actually have 30 apartments where the families can live … for up to two years. And we provide all of the supportive services that a family would need to get back on their feet and become self-sufficient.”
Unlike day shelters that may give a bed for the night, meals, clothing and showers, Rainbow Village works with families exclusively — in any composition — to break the cycle of homelessness.
“We have a grandfather raising his granddaughters, we had a grandmother raising her grandchildren, but the majority of our families are single moms,” said Conner. “There’s nothing wrong with day shelters, they certainly have their place and serve a need. We just take a different approach.”
Rainbow Village assigns success coaches (a name change from case managers) to meet with families regularly to review their finances and to ensure that they are still employed in a job that’s paying a livable wage. The coaches also help with mental health services and legal services if the clients have any issues with those. And of course, there is childcare, tutoring for kids and life skills training.
“So really we help with every aspect of their lives, especially because they live with us,” said Conner. “They’re here in our village.”
The program has a high success rate, too. Conner keeps up with “graduates” and her stats show that in the organization’s 30 years, as much as 92% of those who leave after the two years manage to stay afloat with a job and a roof over their heads.
It wasn’t hard for Conner to find a use for the grant. The funds will support the children in its academy, a program that provides academic enrichment, social skill development, and a safe haven for children from elementary to high school age. At Rainbow Village, all the children of participants in the residential program must participate in an afterschool program of some kind. Those who do not already have an afterschool plan are enrolled in the Rainbow Village Academy.
“With the onset of the pandemic, we found that we needed additional staffing to support the children,” said Conner. “At any time, we can have anywhere from 50 to 100 kids, depending on the makeup of the families that we’re serving. So that’s a lot of kids for one person to be responsible for.”
There are volunteers, but Conner feels strongly that a staffer needs to lead the charge for ensuring the children’s favorable outcomes in the school year and over the summer. “A lot of times people don’t like [to use donations] to support staffing, but I always say that without the staff, the programs don’t operate,” said Conner.
The city of Peachtree Corners will be making announcements soon about plans for more of the ARPA funds. Check back with Peachtree Corners Magazine for updates.
Peachtree Corners ARPA Distribution to Nonprofits
| Organization Name | Amount |
| Peachtree Corners Baptist Church | $175,000 |
| Norcross Youth Baseball Softball Association (Capital Funding) | $105,000 |
| Robert D. Fowler Family YMCA | $500,000 |
| Annandale at Suwanee, Inc. | $200,000 |
| Norcross High School Foundation for Excellence | $30,000 |
| Revved Up Kids | $110,000 |
| Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries | $80,000 |
| Norcross Youth Baseball Softball Association (Capital Funding) | $16,000 |
| Rainbow Village, Inc. | $30,000 |
| Corners Outreach | $150,000 |
| Total | $1,563,000 |
Some people lament paying taxes. They don’t understand that taxes allow us to live in a more civilized manner, helping and protecting us all along. That’s why I don’t mind paying reasonable taxes for the safety of everyday living.
Many don’t recognize it, but you are often paying a small tax without realizing it as you go about your everyday business….but it’s not called a tax.
It’s called a “fee.” Each time you pay your power or utility bill and cable bill, your insurance premium, when you rent a hotel room or car…and other ways…you are providing a few cents or dollars to help fund mostly local government.
The newly-minted City of Mulberry (and previously Peachtree Corners) will run its government without taxing property owners paying a tax to fund its operations. How so? Entirely from fees.
Let’s visit what the other city without property taxes, Peachtree Corners, is doing.
We talked with Cory Salley, who is the finance director for Peachtree Corners. He sent along a graphic which shows where Peachtree Corners gets its funding, as well as how it is spent. (See graphic.)
For the most part, Peachtree Corners is funded by fees. The biggest comes from Georgia Power Company, paying $2.8 million in fees for the city for 2025. Other utilities include $450,000 from Atlanta Gas Light Company; $250,000 from Comcast; $70,000 from Direct TV; and $42,000 from AT&T. (That last figure was interesting, in effect, showing how few people have land-line telephones anymore.) Altogether, utility fees brought in $4.3 million in Peachtree Corners for 2024.
Another bucket of fees include $3.8 million in insurance fees. This comes in one check from the Department of Revenue, which collects insurance fees for all cities.
Each business in Peachtree Corners pays an occupational business license tax. With lots of professional offices in the city, these businesses contribute $4.4 million to the city coffers.
Other fee collections for 2024:
- Alcoholic licenses and sales: $1 million.
- Zoning and land development permits: $1.4 million.
- SPLOST funds on sales within Peachtree Corners: $10 million.
- Automobile and vehicle purchases: $1.7 million. This is interesting: no matter where you buy an automobile in Georgia, part of the sales tax reverts to the city where you live.
Then there are other funds coming to the city; stormwater fees, grants, solid waste, etc. Altogether, it added up to approximately a $40 million income to run the city.
Some specifics and the way they are figured:
- Real estate transfer taxes: This tax is imposed at the rate of $1 on the first $1,000 and 10 cents on each additional $10 on any conveyance of real property when the value of the interest transferred exceeds $100.
- Distilled Spirits—up to 22 cents per liter on package sales and up to 3 percent of the sale price of a drink on sales to the public;
- Wine—up to 22 cents per liter; and
- Malt Beverages—up to $6.00 per bulk container (no more than 15.5 gallons) to be paid by the wholesaler and up to 5 cents per 12 ounces when sold in bottles, cans or other containers.
- A municipality may levy a business license tax on depository financial institutions (such as a bank.) The maximum rate of this tax is 0.25 percent.
- Hotel-motel tax: a municipality may levy a hotel-motel tax at a rate of 3 percent or less or at a rate of 5, 6, 7, or 8 percent. (Yes, let the out-of-towner pay!)
Perhaps this gives you an idea of how a city, like Mulberry in the future, can operate without property taxes.
Have a comment? Send to: elliott@elliottbrack
Written by Elliott Brack
This material is presented with permission from Elliott Brack’s GwinnettForum, an online site published Tuesdays and Fridays. To become better informed about Gwinnett, subscribe (at no cost) at GwinnettForum.
As we look back at 2024, there were a number of acquisitions, new businesses opening, major renovations and milestones celebrated. I’ll attempt to highlight some of them, knowing that I can’t possibly cover them all. There were some new events this year too.
This past year was a big one for Guardian Sports, a Peachtree Corners company that designs and manufactures helmet covers. The NFL now requires Guardian Caps be worn during NFL during practice, and players may choose to wear them during games. The caps disperse energy during hits with the goal of reducing head injuries.
Insight Sourcing of Peachtree Corners was acquired by Accenture, a leading global professional services company. Insight Sourcing helps clients optimize costs when sourcing and negotiating contracts for materials, services related to capital expenditures and energy procurement management. Accenture is a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 743,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries.
Axon, the global leader in connected public safety technologies, acquired Fusus, a leader in real-time crime center technology located in Peachtree Corners. Fusus excels in aggregating live video, data and sensor feeds from virtually any source, enhancing situational awareness and investigative capabilities for public safety, education and commercial customers.
Milestone celebrations
Authentic Hardwood Flooring on Amwiler Road celebrated 25 years in business in 2024. Michael Keroack has been steadily growing the operation for roughly eight years in Peachtree Corners with the help of Buddy Wofford, general sales manager, and Michael Blocker, director of operations.
Also celebrating a milestone in 2024 was Diversified Resource Group (DRG). For nearly 25 years, Darrell Creedon has been running DRG in Peachtree Corners, outfitting workspaces for companies and governments, and more recently, hotels and convention centers. Mr. Creedon, who resides in Peachtree Corners, started the furniture business with a college friend in 1999 in a home basement.
City events
The City of Peachtree Corners organized the 2nd Annual Curiosity Lab Criterium in April. This year’s event featured a running race, kids races, food trucks, vendors and other activities for the family. There was also a fun run in Technology Park. Werfen, a global diagnostics company, and the City of Peachtree Corners, partnered on a 5K Walk/Run in Technology Park in November. The event benefitted the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In May, the city organized a food truck event at Curiosity Lab, which drew about 210 people working in and around Technology Park.
The PCBA organized the first Taste of Peachtree Corners in June. It was a great time of networking and community fellowship among business owners and other involved citizens. Approximately 100 people experienced an evening of delicious bites and drinks, sampling foods from local businesses.
New to the city
Blue River Development moved its corporate office from Forsyth County to Peachtree Corners to expand its operations. The company is a leader in real estate development and investment.
A new pediatric dentistry, Agape Pediatric Dentistry, opened at 5185 Peachtree Parkway #325 at The Forum. Two law firms opened on Wetherburn Way: Brooks Injury Law Offices and Tadeo & Silva immigration law firm.
A former steel pipe fabrication site at 6420 Corley Road that was converted to a logistics center is now fully leased. The 27-acre property, which sold for $10.5 million in 2018 was sold for $77.4 million three years later, after it was cleaned up and redeveloped into the Peachtree Corners Logistics Center.
The Central Business District
Also in May, the city adopted a 6-month moratorium on projects in the Central Business District. Due to the increasing number of applications and evolving market trends, the moratorium came into effect on May 3 and ended on November 3. The moratorium gave the city six months to pause rezoning applications, special use permits and variances applications for residential or mixed-use development.
In August, members of the Peachtree Corners City Council took part in a ribbon cutting at The Forum. We celebrated the opening of the new plaza and activity areas. Jamestown is modernizing the 20-year-old Forum shopping center and transforming it into a true mixed-use destination through the addition of a 125-room boutique hotel, approximately 381 multifamily units, new experiential retail and dining offerings, structured parking and an expanded public area.
Construction began in May 2023, and the first of two new greenspace additions were constructed. Phases II and III will see the multifamily and boutique hotel constructed, both slated to start in 2025. Also this year, it was announced that Jamestown, a global real estate investment and management firm, acquired the Cincinnati-based North American Properties, which owned The Forum.
Members of the Peachtree Corners Redevelopment Authority and Downtown Development Authority engaged in a focus group discussion in August at City Hall. The discussion was led by representatives from Kimley-Horn, engineering, planning and design consultants. There was discussion about under-utilized spaces, needed amenities and potential uses for vacant properties. City officials also met with members of the commercial real estate community in September to specifically discuss Technology Park.
International visitors, co-working and new townhome project
An 18-member delegation of Finnish business people visited Curiosity Lab in Peachtree Corners in September. The visit marks the second time a Finnish delegation has visited Peachtree Corners. Seven innovative Finnish companies traveled to the Atlanta area in search of U.S. partners to promote transatlantic trade between Finland and the United States. Japanese delegates involved in sectors such as automotive, technology, energy and corporate development also visited Peachtree Corners in December as part of a regional tour.
Construction of a co-working space, Roam, is well underway at the Town Center and will open in summer 2025. The 35,000-square-foot building is located at 3847 Medlock Bridge Road and will feature a rooftop event space, coffeeshop and cafe, in addition to workspaces.
An office building at 3585 Engineering Drive was demolished earlier this month to make way for a townhome community. The new 75-unit townhome project is under construction by D.R. Horton, which received rezoning approval from the city last February. The 102,000 SF office building sat vacant for many years.
Collaboration, renovation and more
Curiosity Lab announced a collaboration with Gama Sonic, a global leader in upscale, bright and durable solar lighting for homes, businesses and outdoor spaces. The company’s deployment of solar lighting in the City of Peachtree Corners marks its first deployment implementing customized, intelligent lighting programming timers that enhance safety for residents and visitors.
Brady Anderson Bennett recently opened a State Farm office at 3000 Northwoods Parkway. The 27-year-old has been working with State Farm since he was 18 years old.
Renovation is underway at 7050 Jimmy Carter Blvd. for the creation of a Planet Fitness. The gym is under development by Alder Partners/the Flynn Group. This location marks the 32nd location in metro Atlanta. It is expected to open in January.
There is also a relatively new Southern-inspired eatery you may want to try. Dahlia’s Restaurant & Porch, located inside the Hilton Atlanta Northeast hotel, opened this year. Dahlia’s offers Southern-style plates that leverage regionally sourced, farm-fresh ingredients.
Happy Holidays!
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