City Government
City’s First Employee Steps Down
Diana Wheeler starts her own consulting business
When a city is established, there’s a lot to do to get it going. One of the most important decisions is hiring effective staff. Diana Wheeler was one of those qualified employees who helped turn Peachtree Corners into the community it is today. She’s also credited with being the city’s first hire.
“I worked in Alpharetta for about 20 years as a community development director, and I decided that it was time to try something new and different, something I hadn’t done before. I was going to start up my own consulting business,” said Wheeler.
She was only a few days into her new career when the city of Peachtree Corners called.
“They said, ‘Hey, we’d like you to come and help us out. We’re starting up a new city, and we don’t really have any planners. We need a community development department,” said Wheeler.
So, she went back into city government work and put off starting her business.
Years of service
“I was the only employee for a while,” she said. “There were a lot of interesting times, and there were opportunities I’ve never had before, like setting up all of their programs and systems at the beginning.”
At a City Council meeting on April 23, Wheeler was recognized for more than 12 years of dedicated service to the city.
“A lot of things were accomplished, and after 12 years, I thought, well, you know, I still want that one last sort of professional challenge that I hadn’t ever done before, which was to go out on my own and take advantage of the connections that I’ve made over the years and work on projects that were of interest to me,” she said.
She let the city leadership know that it was time for that change and that she’d be making that change at the end of April.
“Diana’s daily presence was profoundly valued by her colleagues, who benefitted from her expertise, leadership, and perhaps most importantly, her composure in the face of the numerous challenges that the Peachtree Corners city government has encountered during her tenure,” read a statement from the city.
Don’t call it a retirement
As the community development director, Wheeler wore a lot of hats, metaphorically speaking.
“When I was community development director, I had four divisions: the building department, which issues permits and performs inspections; code enforcement, which basically enforces the city’s regulations in commercial and residential areas; planning and zoning, which does all the public hearings and all the zoning research work, and when we added the Town Center, we added special events,” she said. “It’s just a lot of different things. And the city has a very limited number of employees. So, everybody does multiple tasks.”
But she hasn’t entirely left the city. Through the end of the year, she’ll be coordinating the special events at the Town Center.
“We’ve got an incredible lineup. We have all sorts of really cool concerts … and we’re also introducing a night market, which is like a farmer’s market,” she said.
The market will take place on the second Saturday of the month and will have about 14 different vendors selling produce, homemade products, and other items.
“We’re going to have a talent competition this year,” she said. “It’s called Peachtree Corners Has Talent, and we’re asking people to submit YouTube videos, and there are prizes for winners.”
Additionally, there’s a children’s festival and one for the canines in the new dog park.
“On December 4, we’re going to have the huge holiday glow event, which is our big holiday gala at the town center with a concert and Santa and all sorts of stuff for kids to do and a sing-along and lots of free hot chocolate and cookies and things like that,” she said.
Wheeler is unsure if she’ll continue working as a consultant with the city beyond December, but she’s excited about her next chapter. Her consulting business is focused on special projects.
A new journey as a consultant
“In communities where they have a limited staff but would like to take on a project, for example, the city of Jasper and the city of Milton have two different areas where they have projects that they would like to take on, but they don’t have the staff resources,” she said.
That’s where she’ll come in.
“They hire people sort of as a side project to work just on that project. And those are the sort of things that I would do,” she said. “I get to focus on a specific project and don’t deal with the day-to-day things.”
Wheeler said she likes that she gets to choose what she wants to work on and use her skills and experience to the fullest.
Highlights of Wheeler’s career with the city of Peachtree Corners:
- She laid the groundwork for the establishment of Peachtree Corners’ inaugural City Hall.
- She was instrumental in the development of the Holcomb Bridge Corridor Urban Redevelopment Plan, Livable Centers Initiative, Innovation Hub Master Plan, Winters Chapel Road Corridor Study and conceptual planning for the Multi-Use Trail network.
- She established and nurtured the Arts Council, created the Arts & Culture Master Plan, and promoted other public art initiatives, bringing the residents enriching cultural experiences, artistic expression and a sense of community pride.
- She played a pivotal role in the establishment and ongoing support of the Peachtree Corners Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, Downtown Development Authority, Redevelopment Authority, Arts Council, and Green Committee.
- She played a crucial role in securing the city’s Green Community Certification and its Tree City USA recognition.
- She spearheaded the implementation of the city’s initial zoning laws and led the Code Enforcement, Building and Permitting and Planning and Zoning Departments.
- She pioneered the city’s first Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
- She played a key role in launching Special Service Districts, contributing significantly to their initiation and success.
- She Diana guided Town Green and Town Center initiatives.
- She organized and managed Peachtree Corners’ special events.
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!
Mayor Mike Mason
On May 3, the City of Peachtree Corners put in place a moratorium on development in the central business district.
“One of the reasons that led to that is we were starting to see, from the marketplace, a lot of properties in our central business district come online for sale,” said Community Development Director Shaun Adams during the Peachtree Corners Life podcast with Southwest Gwinnett magazine publisher Rico Figliolini.
“[Developers] were looking to redevelop sites in a way that didn’t necessarily align with what we felt our long-term vision of the central business district was. And when you look at the central business district, it’s a big piece of all of our office parks, including Tech Park and some of our retail nodes.”
Adams added that having one policy that covered the entire area was broader than what the city wanted.
“We pressed pause,” he said, “and started working on a small area plan.”
The planning commission made recommendations on November 12, and the city council voted unanimously to adopt it on December 17.
Key points and concerns
The city’s small area plan focuses on the central business district. Key points included:
- A daytime population of nearly 20,000 versus 2,400 residents — highlighting commuter traffic.
- An asset inventory identified high vacancy and underutilized spaces.
- Seven sub-areas were outlined: district hub, district infill, targeted infill, commercial core, Town Center gateway, flex office and suburban transition.
- Concerns were raised about high-density development in the Town Center gateway area, citing traffic volume and safety issues.
Throughout the process, there were focus groups with brokers and office owners in the central business district. The final plan emphasizes the need for granular development guidelines and community feedback.
“We had a public engagement meeting. I’ve had some one-on-one conversations with members of the public who have reached out to me as well and provided feedback,” said Adams. “As a byproduct of that, we had a couple of themes that came out of those engagement sessions that spoke to more placemaking opportunities or amenitizing the Tech Park/central business district area, taking it from an eight-hour day to a sixteen-hour day type of thought process, [adding] more gathering space where we could and a better mix of housing stock within the area.”
The asset assessment
The city did an “asset inventory” looking at every commercial building in the central business district.
“We did a market analysis as well, to determine how they were from a condition standpoint, what their occupancy rates were, what’s on the market, what’s not [and] what properties have more underutilized space or parking than others,” said Adams.
“And as a byproduct of that, we’ve … set out these seven sub-areas — which is probably the biggest change in the small area plan — within the sub-district that allows us to get a little more granular and look at each of these areas and say, okay, what may make sense from a redevelopment standpoint or development standpoint in one area may not make sense in another.”
As an addendum to the 2045 comprehensive plan, the changes go into effect immediately.
“It is a policy document. It’s not a law document,” said Adams. “The comprehensive plan is meant to guide our 10-to-20-year vision of how we see the city progressing.”
The new plan
“One of the sections that is in the central business district, I didn’t even realize, was the G section [at the] intersection of Peachtree Corners Circle and West Jones Bridge Road and Crooked Creek,” said Figliolini. “I didn’t even realize that was in the central business district area.”
Adams and Figliolini went through the map.
“I think the reason why [this area is] included is because they are mostly institutional uses, which tend to lean on the commercial side versus everything around it being residential,” said Adams.
He explained that the previous policy was too broad for the entire area.
“We identified and understood that what may be appropriate along 141 and sub-area A probably isn’t appropriate in G. And so, we wanted to try to carve that out for a couple of reasons,” he said. “One is for the community to understand that we recognize there’s a difference in what might be able to go there, but also for developers to know that, while it’s in the central business district, athletic fields probably aren’t the place for an intense development.”
That’s why area G has been singled out, Adams added.
“It will maintain its existing institutional character with the schools and the churches and the YMCA there to the extent that if it were to be redeveloped in the future, it needs to take on the low-intensity residential character of all the residential around it,” he said. “And so, if anything, it should act more like … Amberfield and Peachtree Station and everything that’s right by it and less like [the] central business district.”
Retail and entertainment
The darkened areas of the map — The Forum, Town Center and Dick’s Sporting Goods on the south end, along with the Chick-fil-A — are really the retail entertainment sections.
“It really isn’t the same as the rest of the central business district, which is office focused,” said Adams.
He added that Town Center and The Forum are either in the process of or already built out. There’s not a lot of potential for change.
With updates coming to the comprehensive plan about every five years, Adams added that development will evolve with the city’s needs.
“To me, the biggest change is what the sub-areas are allowing us to do, other than stating that we’ve got a couple of zoning districts in the works as a byproduct of this, so that we can fully implement the plan,” said Adams.
“We do have two applications in for December [for the] planning commission, but they’re not really specific to these changes. So, we haven’t had that rush — even though the moratorium ended on November 3 — of people coming in.”
He added, “It’ll be interesting, as people maybe flip their heads out of the sand after the holidays in January and start to kick tires again, to kind of see the reaction of the development community the first couple of times they come in on some of these properties and talk with us about it.”
To read the Central Business District Small Area Study, click here.
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