City Government
Peachtree Corners Officials See Continued Smart Growth in City’s Future
A crystal ball isn’t needed for city councilmembers and the city manager to predict good things in store for 2023 and beyond.
Peachtree Corners has seen a lot of changes in 2022 and has a lot more on the horizon. Peachtree Corners Magazine had a conversation with City Manager Brian Johnson about what has had a considerable impact on the city this past year and what he sees as significant factors for its future.
If you think of the city as a corporation, Johnson is the CEO, with the City Council as the board of directors. Although council sets policy, it’s his job to advise council as to the financial condition and future needs of the city.
Subsequently, he makes recommendations to the City Council concerning affairs of the city, and he facilitates the work of City Council in developing and implementing policy. Johnson is also responsible for assisting in developing long term goals for the city and strategies to implement those goals.
Looking back at Peachtree Corners’ economic development success, one must look at the city’s fundamentals. As the largest city in Gwinnett County, it assesses no city property tax. It currently uses effective partnerships with established businesses, start-ups and government entities to further its goals of remaining prosperous without increasing the tax burden on residents.
“That’s a huge plus for our city,” said Johnson. “We have one of the healthiest and most vibrant business communities in the area.”
The smart growth built into the city’s master plan allows for more residential and commercial properties to come online, but only when and where it makes sense to the existing footprint and where the city wants to be in the next few decades.
Retail, mixed-use growth
This year saw the rebranding of The Forum. New owners North American Properties had a vision to take an aging facility and breathe new life into it.
“[It will be] downtown Peachtree Corners, all of it, and you see that in our branding,” North American Properties (NAP) Co-Managing Partner Tim Perry said when the company unveiled the name. What was once The Forum at Peachtree Parkway, became The Forum at Peachtree Corners.
Perry explained that 20 years ago, there was no city of Peachtree Corners. Now that the municipality exists, North American wants The Forum to be the de facto downtown, the gathering spot, the place where neighbors come together.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about experiences,” Perry said.
The typical resident may grab breakfast or coffee in the morning, a business lunch in the afternoon and drinks and/or dinner in the evening with friends. They may be part of a cornhole league or bring the kids to the playground and grab dessert before bedtime.
With zoning changes, the area will see an increase in residential offerings. That doesn’t just apply to The Forum, but to the Town Center across the street as well. The residential component is being included to support the restaurants and retail located at The Forum.
After what may have been the longest City Council meeting in Peachtree Corners history, North American Properties received approval in August to add apartments and a boutique hotel to the area adjacent to The Forum, and to add apartments across the street in the area at Town Center. When the projects are complete, NAP will have invested over $450 million in revitalizing that area of Peachtree Corners.
City officials have touted the redevelopment as a major boost to the area where Peachtree Parkway, Peachtree Corners Circle and Medlock Bridge Road intersect each other.
“I would say I’m excited about the vision that North American Properties has,” Mayor Pro Tem Weare Gratwick told Gwinnett Daily News. “I love the concept of sort of a downtown that’s got your density. I like looking at this area as a triangle. You’ve got both sides of the road and the [Peachtree Corners] bridge connects it, not only from a public safety standpoint, but also from an economic development standpoint. I think that will pay dividends once this is done.”
Bringing new businesses
With business incubators Atlanta Tech Park and Curiosity Lab attracting established and newly formed companies to the area, the growth will expand concentrically with a need for support services, said Johnson.
“Just like an auto plant needs support vendors who make car seats or windows or engine parts, companies like Siemens need smaller support businesses,” he said.
In March, international technology powerhouse Siemens announced a $100 million capital program aimed at advancing the decarbonization goals of small- to medium-sized enterprises. This infusion of capital will help small and medium businesses in the U.S. jumpstart their decarbonization efforts.
“Small and medium sized enterprises are the backbone of our economy, yet they may not have access to the same capital as our country’s largest corporations when it comes to making sustainability improvements,” said Anthony Casciano, CEO of Siemens Financial Services, in a press release. “We are launching this loan program to ensure essential resources for these companies are available to keep pace with our nation and economy’s climate goals.”
Johnson said this type of corporate “paying it forward” benefits everyone with more job opportunities, a more diverse economy and a wealth of suppliers for the larger company. “This is the way it’s supposed to work,” he noted. “Success begets more success.”
Similarly, Intuitive Surgical announced in August 2021 that it will spend more than $500 million to expand its Peachtree Corners campus. A major player in the robotic surgery systems industry, the company is expanding its decade-old Peachtree Corners location to 750,000 square feet of manufacturing and engineering operations, training facilities for surgeons and hospital care teams, and administrative offices.
When the project is complete in 2024, the company expects to have grown its 180 local jobs to 1,200.
And, as Johnson noted earlier, any major manufacturer will need the support of smaller businesses. “And Peachtree Corners is the perfect place for that,” he said.
City Councilmembers Weigh In
Peachtree Corners Magazine asked elected officials about their assessment of past developments in Peachtree Corners and their visions for the future. They pretty much all agreed about what had the biggest impact on the city so far, but their statements about what they see ahead are quite diverse.
Question: What do you think made the biggest impact this year in Peachtree City’s economic growth and development?
Weare Gratwick: There are two events that have made a large impact in 2022. First, Intuitive Surgical, which was announced prior to 2022 but has swung into high gear this year as their expansion is well underway. Most recently, the Intuitive Surgical project was awarded the Large Community Deal of the Year by the Georgia Economic Developers Association (GEDA) — a big deal. The second is the North American Properties acquisition of The Forum, where their improvements have begun and are already evident.
Lori Christopher: Intuitive Surgical’s decision to choose Peachtree Corners for the headquarters, North American Properties decision to acquire the Forum and Curiosity Lab’s impact on autonomous development and innovation.
Eric Christ: I think the purchase of The Forum by North American Properties would be this year’s most significant economic development initiative. Having a new owner for the largest retail center in the city will be critical to reinvigorating the economic heart of our downtown area. North America’s long-term commitment to The Forum and, by extension, to the Town Center, will position Peachtree Corners to avoid the fate of other areas hamstrung by a dying retail center like Gwinnett Place Mall or North DeKalb Mall.
Alex Wright: Biggest impact — landing of the Intuitive Surgical expansion ($600 million investment and 1,500 new jobs). This was the largest economic development win in Gwinnett County history.
Question: What do you envision moving Peachtree Corners forward in the coming year and beyond in terms of economic growth and development?
Weare Gratwick: These two events will have momentum over the next 5-plus years as they are implemented. We want to continue to support our businesses near The Forum and Town Center, and in Tech Park as well, as we continue to seek redevelopment projects that can enhance the southern end of our community. Our Redevelopment Authority, made up of Peachtree Corners citizens, has been working hard towards that endeavor.
Lori Christopher: I envision Peachtree Corners in the coming year and beyond to continue to lead the way in innovation that benefits not only our community, but also the world with our strategic partnerships, our community leadership and remarkable city team. This collaboration provides jobs and economic growth for our area.
Eric Christ: Looking ahead to 2023, I think the city’s focus should be on the Holcomb Bridge Road/Jimmy Carter Boulevard Corridor. Specifically, what actions can the City Council or our Redevelopment Authority take to promote redevelopment in those areas of the city? I believe we can take some lessons from the Atlanta BeltLine initiative and identify opportunities to amenitize that corridor with trails, playgrounds, public gathering areas, bike lanes, sidewalks, street furniture (benches, trash cans), improved lighting, security cameras, wayfinding signage, etc. By creating a sense of connection, we can increase economic activity, reduce crime and spur the redevelopment of the aging residential, commercial and retail properties along that corridor.
Alex Wright: Moving forward — continued expansion of Curiosity Lab. This will include expanding not just the campus, but also the routes that the AV shuttles will be moving along with the ultimate goal of connecting Tech Park with the Town Center/Forum (aka Downtown Peachtree Corners). Our biggest hinderance to making this happen continues to be the Georgia DOT, but we are making progress.
Besides his monthly newsletter, Peachtree Corners City Councilman Eric Christ occasionally hosts town hall meetings to allow constituents to catch up on what’s going on and give him feedback on a variety of issues.
On Sunday, March 24, several dozen residents and stakeholders gathered for updates at City Hall’s Community Chest room. Christ probably expected the gathering to last 90 minutes at the most, but the discussion lasted nearly three hours as he shared information about the Marshal program, development projects, the new dog park, deer and the May 21 primary election.
Cutting down on crime
Probably to nobody’s surprise, crime and public safety took up the bulk of the meeting. Christ wanted the audience to take away that crime in Peachtree Corners is down 25% from pre-pandemic times. He showed a chart with crime rates from 2019 through 2023 that showed a significant drop in crime overall.
- Residential burglaries are down by 48%.
- Thefts are down by 34%.
- Robberies are down by 24%.
“Prior to the pandemic in 2017, 2018 and 2019 we were averaging about 100 total [part one crimes] every month, and that dropped almost by half during the pandemic. Then, in 2021, it went back up a little bit again,” said Christ.
Even though the rate has increased year over year since 2020, it has not returned to pre-COVID levels. However, compared to the previous year, crime has increased by 23%. One solution may be the new City Marshal program that kicked off in November.
Having a relatively small population, the most heinous crimes, such as homicide and aggravated assault, have stayed lower than in many other areas. However, auto thefts, car break-ins, robberies and other property crimes remain somewhat high.
The City Marshal’s involvement
Chief City Marshal Edward Restrepo gave anecdotal evidence that the marshal program is working and will continue to get better because it fills the gaps left between the Gwinnett Police Department and the city’s code enforcement department.
“We had a jewelry store robbery, and about the time we came in, we had started building up the camera registry as well as the integration system of cameras all around the city,” said Restrepo. “With only three of us, we have to rely on technology as much as we can.”
Although the marshals didn’t apprehend the bad guys, their assistance helped other law enforcement officers do their jobs more effectively. Several residents asked if there were plans to increase the marshal force to provide 24-hour, 7-day-a-week service.
The initial cost was around $900,000, said Christ, and maintaining the three officers and an administrative assistant will require about $700,000. Although Peachtree Corners doesn’t levy a property tax, the city’s share of county taxes goes toward that type of expense.
“It’s up to the people of Peachtree Corners if they want to increase the program,” said Christ. “It will come at a price.”
Those in attendance indicated that they thought that would be money well spent. Several said they liked seeing marshals at city-sponsored events because it sent a message that Peachtree Corners is serious about keeping its residents and visitors safe.
Christ said he and the rest of the council would consider that, but he reminded everyone that they should still report crimes to the police.
“I’ve had people tell me that they left a message on the city’s answering machine on a Friday evening and hadn’t heard back,” he said. “I tell them the first step is always to call 911.”
Catch the episode of the UrbanEBB podcast featuring Edward Restrepo from this past January here:
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From Peachtree Corners Mayor Mike Mason
As the year comes to a close, it seems like a good time to consider our businesses and say ‘Thank You!’ for helping to ensure our city’s success.
Business and innovation have always been at the heart of who we are as a community. We are a city that grew up organically around Technology Park. So, as we look back at 2023 at some of the many occurrences worth noting, I’d like to say ‘Thank You’ to our businesses, large and small.
And ‘thank you’ to all those entrepreneurs out there who had the courage to start their own businesses and put in the countless hours needed to make them successful. Without your success, we wouldn’t be here. Let’s look at some of the business activity in 2023.
In January, Fricke and Associates, a certified public accounting firm, consolidated two locations, bringing 25 new jobs and a $800,000 capital investment to the City of Peachtree Corners.
The firm signed a 9,000-square-foot office lease at 3500 Parkway Lane to help them better serve Metro Atlanta clients.
Early in the year, NAC International, a nuclear fuel cycle technology and consulting company, signed a deal for 23,000 square feet of space at 2 Sun Court in Peachtree Corners, while T-Mobile partnered with Curiosity Lab for a fun student hackathon the weekend of Feb. 24 to 26.
The city completed its second, five-year Economic Development Plan, this year. The plan guides activity, projects and policy aimed at improving the city’s economic climate.
The city also began its next Comprehensive Planning process, a plan renewed every year that guides development and redevelopment activity in the city.
Unlike other places, these plans don’t sit on a shelf here. We talk with our stakeholders, i.e. YOU, and develop plans to take us where you think we need to go. This is good old-fashioned logic at work, but back to our Year-in-Review.
Last January, city economic development staff visited a company in Peachtree Corners rather unsuspecting of the scope of the operation.
Guardian Sports manufactures products designed to keep people— especially young people—safer while playing sports. It is truly a gem. This Peachtree Corners company is designing and manufacturing sporting equipment worn by youth and high school football teams, college teams, and most recently, mandated by the NFL.
The company’s flagship product is the Guardian Cap, which was created to advance the standard football helmet by dispersing some of the energy that is generated during impacts. Check out a video HERE.
Insight Sourcing celebrated 20 years in business, announcing 20% firmwide growth in 2022, with 84 new team members added, of whom 23 joined as part of an acquisition.
Global Aviation celebrated 25 years of success while at the same time launching another company in the aerospace industry.
In February, the city began encouraging businesses to connect their security cameras with the Fusus network. Fusus is a nationally recognized public safety technology provider that has operated out of its headquarters in—you guessed it–Peachtree Corners since 2019.
The platform links cameras together and sends the feed to the West Precinct where Gwinnett Police officers can see situations in real-time and respond accordingly.
The cameras have helped solve homicides and other crimes in various cities, including Peachtree Corners. In July, Fusus made the annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
Peachtree Farm, located in Technology Park, began attracting some attention on a grand scale this year, starting with a visit from Arthur Tripp Jr., the executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency who visited Peachtree Farm in February.
Members of the Gwinnett County Farm Bureau and the Georgia Farm Bureau also visited Peachtree Farm in June to learn more about its operations and areas for possible collaboration.
Congresswoman Lucy McBath visited the farm this fall. The farm, located on Research Court, provides an inclusive and accessible community fostering the social, emotional and physical health and wellness of adults with disabilities.
Peachtree Farm first opened in 2021 to create jobs for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
In April, professional cyclists descended on Technology Parkway participating in the Curiosity Lab Criterium, a series of races on the streets of Peachtree Corners within the living laboratory environment of Curiosity Lab.
In May, North American Properties broke ground on The Forum redevelopment project, a great relief as there had been concerns about how to best generate more activity at the 20-year-old center.
North American Properties is redeveloping and revitalizing the property, adding a boutique hotel, food hall, open green spaces, new retail spaces and 381 apartments.
A 300-space parking deck will be constructed near Belk to allow for some parking to be reconstructed as open green space. Several new stores and restaurants have opened or are opening at The Forum, including Peche, lululemon and High Country Outfitters as well ass Petfolk Veterinarian clinic.
Politan Row will open at the Forum, part of the multi-million dollar renovation project by North American Properties. Politan Row, which has locations at Colony Square in Atlanta, as well as Houston and Chicago, will include seven independently owned restaurant spaces, a full bar, an outdoor patio along greenspace and a standalone restaurant and wine bar.
The German American Chamber of Commerce visited Curiosity Lab in May to learn more about Georgia, Gwinnett County and specifically Peachtree Corners. Also, a delegation of energy, technology and sustainability leaders visited the City of Peachtree Corners in October for several days, learning about area companies, Curiosity Lab and about how the city developed.
This year, Seoul Robotics established its United States office in Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners. The company’s presence in Curiosity Lab is fueling further development of a groundbreaking 3D perception platform.
Also this year, Siemens joined Curiosity Lab to support bringing 5G charging and electrification solutions to the United States.
Soliant, a leading provider of specialized healthcare and education staffing services, has been hiring hundreds of new employees across five offices in the Southeast. This expansion of approximately 300 people will give Soliant the internal resources to meet the growing nationwide demand for healthcare and education professionals.
Also, in terms of health and wellness, Atlas Behavioral Health opened at 3850 Holcomb Bridge Road while space was outfitted in June at 4941 S Old Peachtree Road for a Fyzical Therapy and Balance Center.
In June, Peachtree Corners was ranked #1 in Georgia and #19 in the nation in this year’s edition of the Fortune 50 Best Places to Live for Families. In August, Peachtree Corners was listed as one of the best places to live in Georgia by Niche.com.
On the environmental front, I can think of a few things coming out of Peachtree Corners this year which will likely help the world.
For example, Sidel, which manufactures packaging (among other things), has introduced a new bottle. Sidel announced a partnership with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.
The company has been experiencing a great deal of growth and continues to hire more and more people. The bottle, which is for carbonated soft drinks, has a lighter neck and tethered cap. The tethered caps are expected to boost collection and recycling efforts, while preventing litter.
Pond Constructors Inc., Peachtree Corners, was awarded a $13 million modification contract to maintain and repair capitalized petroleum systems and facilities at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
Also, ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers) has published a pioneering code-enforceable standard developed to reduce the risk of infectious aerosol transmission in buildings.
There was some other activity in Technology Park as well. Specifically, ASBN Coworks opened at 420 Technology Parkway, in the heart of Tech Park.
DW1, previously known as Discount Waste, Inc., cut the ribbon on its new office at 250 Scientific Drive NW.
A Florida-based investment firm acquired four properties in Technology Park in August, all part of a portfolio selling for roughly $23.8 million.
The second-largest sale in Metro Atlanta that quarter, SF Partners purchased 30, 35 Technology Parkway South and 190 and 192 Technology Parkway from Terracap; a total of 247,208 square feet.
Thank you for reading about some of the impressive business happenings in our city this year. As we gear up for 2024, we looked forward to hearing about more successes, and helping to make sure the city’s businesses continue to grow and thrive.
Happy Holidays!
Mike Mason, Mayor
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