Mayor Rusty Paul Presents "State of the City" Address to Chamber

Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul gave his annual “State of Sandy Springs” speech March 5 to over 250 members and guests of the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce (SSPC).

The sold-out event at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North Hotel included Chamber Board and City Council members, along with city officials. SSPC Board Chairman Chris Burnett welcomed the attendees and introduced the Mayor. Mayor Paul began by giving the group an update on the progress of the new City Center.

Earlier this week, the city hosted a public meeting for stakeholders to review and offer feedback on the proposed visual aesthetics for the mixed-use, walkable community. Mayor Paul said the final design will reflect and reinforce the concept of City Center as a shared place of community for all citizens. When completed, City Center will become “everyone’s neighborhood,” serving as the fabric that knits together the various residential neighborhoods throughout Sandy Springs.

He said the goal is to make City Center an iconic, dynamic and fun activity district that will spark revitalization of the Roswell Road corridor. Sandy Springs officials expect to hold an official groundbreaking for City Center sometime this summer, according to the Mayor. Construction will continue throughout 2015 and 2016, with a “soft opening” targeted for fourth quarter 2016. When completed, City Center will include high-end residences, dining, shopping and entertainment options, a civic/cultural center, performing arts facility and greenspaces. As progress moves forward on City Center, greater attention is being given to traffic congestion along nearby Roswell Road. New technology and traffic management staff have been allocated to improve vehicular flow and make needed adjustments to signals during peak traffic times.

The city also is working on a long-term redevelopment plan for the Roswell Road corridor, where most of the land is privately owned. Mayor Paul wants to engage these property owners and encourage them to work with the city to make decisions that make good economic sense for themselves and the community.

The Mayor stressed that traffic-oriented development and greater use of multi-modal transportation options are crucial as the city continues to grow and attract world-class businesses like Mercedes-Benz. He applauded MARTA for working in partnership with the city of Sandy Springs to create new transportation alternatives, especially in the Perimeter business district, where transit-oriented development has already proven to be successful.

A particular traffic challenge for the community will be the opening of the new Braves Stadium just off Cobb Parkway. The Mayor says studies show that approximately 80 percent of game attendees will drive through Sandy Springs on their way to and from the stadium. Discussions are underway now to determine how to accommodate game-day traffic, and how to channel the vehicles onto thoroughfares that have been created or re-designed to handle the increased traffic flow, especially in the Powers Ferry area.

Mayor Paul applauded the business community of Sandy Springs for their support and commitment to maintaining and enhancing Sandy Springs’ quality of life and robust business environment. He offered several challenges to the group. First, he encouraged the business community to become more involved with the local schools. Next, he noted that Sandy Springs lacks a diversity of housing and needs more affordable housing for the local work force. Finally, he encouraged the business leaders to speak with one voice across the various organizations like the Sandy Springs Chamber, the Dunwoody Chamber, the Perimeter Community Improvement District and others.

He concluded by noting this is an exciting and pivotal time in the life of the city of Sandy Springs. The community has attracted the attention of numerous Fortune 500 companies and is the home for a number of world headquarters. Citizens enjoy an enviable quality of life with access to some of the finest medical care available in the country, good schools, recreational and cultural opportunities and a wide variety of business opportunities.

He thanked the City Council and the Chamber of Commerce for their leadership and support and cited Sandy Springs’ success as evidence of what can happen when people come together to work for the good of the community.