City Of Smyrna: Smyrna's Village Green To Become A True Green

Press release from the City of Smyrna:

10/26/2021 9:44 AM

With the passage of the downtown redesign plan by Mayor and Council on Monday, October 18, 2021 a new era for Smyrna, true to her history of innovation and reinvention, is becoming a reality.

Smyrna’s Village Green to become a True Green 

With the passage of the downtown redesign plan by Mayor and Council on Monday, October 18, 2021 a new era for Smyrna, true to her history of innovation and reinvention, is becoming a reality.

 The new plan for the Village Green moves Smyrna toward being more pedestrian friendly and whole lot bigger in green space.  This new Smyrna Village Green is a citizen’s park and leisure space with a big sense of place that definitely has roots in the tradition of town greens and civic pride, but adapted to how Smyrna has changed and grown over the last three decades. This is the biggest change to our downtown since the 1990s and we can’t wait for it to be a reality.   

The new reimagined green space is replacing the aged fountain and traffic circle which were built in the 1990’s and served us well at that time as the new downtown was born.  The Community Center and the Library remain strong features of our downtown and our tradition of citizen service, and it’s time to build on what our predecessors imagined and make it even better.   

What is being added is true open green space and other features which the Citizens of Smyrna have expressed as essential for how they now gather and wish to spend time in the downtown. This redesign puts pedestrians first and will provide a much better experience for all during live events such as concerts and the annual City Birthday Celebration. 

The most outstanding feature of the redesigned space will be a larger and more open green space that will include new trees, an interactive water feature, plaza areas, seating, bike racks, shade structures and an improved stage area for concerts and events. The study leading to the redesign began in 2019 with the new downtown master plan which included input from hundreds of residents.  The process was expanded into 2021 with more public input that included three open houses and nine days of online options to participate.  When combined with feedback through emails, social media, phone calls, and neighborhood, civic and business groups, this redesign has received more public input than any other single item in the city’s history. The cost for the project is estimated at $6.5 Million, including all contingencies and fees, and is entirely funded through the 2022 SPLOST which was approved by voters in November 2020.   

We are looking forward to the changes to come and more and more memories to create in downtown Smyrna with new ways for citizens to engage with each other and a lively downtown area. Major construction is planned to begin in the Spring with completion expected in early 2023. As the project develops, we will keep you up to date.

This press release was produced by the City of Smyrna. The views expressed here are the author’s own.