‘Pieces Coming Together’: Already An Economic Engine, Gwinnett Place Area Preps For More Growth

Despite being known for the large vacant mall at its center, the 2,000-acre Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District's existing businesses annually contribute nearly $16B to local, regional and state economies, according to a comprehensive economic analysis released late last year. 

“I think some people would be surprised by those findings because they might immediately think of the old Gwinnett Place Mall,” County Commissioner Kirkland Carden said. “But once you see the big picture, it’s clear the area is still the economic engine of Gwinnett County, and that’s what the report confirmed.”

Carden didn’t need the nearly 100-page analysis by KB Advisory Group to convince him of the massive impact of the area. He said he sees the economic engine at work every day.

“When I drive around here, there is a sea of commercial activity and a lot of it is strong,” he said. “But I also think there is a great opportunity here because imagine what it might look like if you activated the currently underutilized spaces, such as the dead retail at the mall.”

Carden said the opportunity might look something like what happened at a small shopping plaza near the mall on a summer Saturday last year when several thousand people showed up for the opening of a new Japanese department store, Teso Life. Many of them stood in a long line for a chance to shop at what has been described as an “Asian Target.”

To Carden, that’s a strong indication that retail continues to thrive in the diverse and growing community around the old mall and in Gwinnett County in general, with room for much more growth. 

“The economics of this area are still really strong, and I always make the case to people that we need to direct public sector investment to encourage more green space, walkability and different types of residential development to support the existing strong business community,” he said. “The benefits would be enormous.”

The benefits could amount to more than $300M in additional revenue to the county, school district and state, according to the authors of a planning document unveiled last year, the Gwinnett Place Mall Site Revitalization Strategy. The county board-endorsed strategy proposes replacing the old mall with a mixed-use Global Villages development containing as many as 3,800 new residential units, 50K SF of office space, 55K SF of new retail, a 50K SF cultural center and nearly 13 acres of parkland. 

The ambitious plan is expected to get a shot in the arm soon when the county announces the project management team that will be responsible for bringing Global Villages to life over the next several years. 

“There's a lot of excitement and support out there to begin moving forward with the revitalization strategy sooner rather than later,” said Joe Allen, executive director of GPCID. “Once we can get that team in place, we're really going to see things move. A lot of the pieces will be coming together for the county’s redevelopment plan for the area.”

Allen and Carden both cautioned that the mall area is not yet shovel-ready, with much organizational, logistical and legal work still needed before a single earthmover arrives on the site. To support the area’s expected growth, the county has made improving mobility and transportation high priorities for the area, including proposed improvements to Pleasant Hill Road, a major traffic artery that passes by the old mall. 

Even so, the county and GPCID have made notable progress in setting the stage for redevelopment. Carden pointed out that it has been only three years since the county purchased more than 30 acres of the mall property for redevelopment, and in that time it has made numerous infrastructure improvements to the area, such as by investing $7.4M in improved sewer capacity.

“Progress can seem slow, especially when it involves the public sector and taxpayers’ money,” Carden said. “But we've already accomplished a lot that we can be proud of, with more progress to be made in coming years.”

This article was produced in collaboration between Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

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