DeKalb sets open houses for public input on Memorial Drive revitalization

DeKalb County has scheduled the first of four open houses that will be held to gather public input about the future of the Memorial Drive corridor.

The first open house is scheduled Tuesday, June 25, 6 to 8 p.m., at the DeKalb County Watershed Management Office, 4572 Memorial Drive, Decatur.

DeKalb Commissioner Steve Bradshaw, District 4, is hosting the workshops. In 2018, Bradshaw allocated $140,000 of District 4 reserves for a study. That was augmented by a $34,500 allocation from the DeKalb County Department of Planning and Sustainability Department, which, along with the POND consultant planning team, is developing strategies to enhance the long-term economic viability of its Memorial Drive corridor.

“I look forward to broad participation in this process and receiving the insights and suggestions from various stakeholders,” Bradshaw said.

The county’s Department of Planning and Sustainability and POND consultant planning team is developing strategies to enhance the long-term economic viability of its Memorial Drive corridor.

The Memorial Drive corridor is a major thoroughfare, with access to bus and massive rail transit as well as access I-285 and US-78, a college and a university, more than 100 acres under government ownership, and several large underdeveloped tracts under private ownership.

To create a plan that reflects the community, DeKalb will collect public input through public meetings, an online survey and website, interviews with corridor residents, customers and visitors, and the formation of a Business Development Advisory Committee.

The plan is anticipated to include initiatives for beautification, private sector investment, mixed-use development, and living wage employment opportunities. The Revitalization Plan will also establish initiatives for creating a “sense of place” upon entering the corridor from Atlanta or Gwinnett County. The planning process is estimated to conclude in November 2019.

To learn more about the plan and take an online survey, please visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/memorialdrive.