Sugar Hill, Georgia

A majority of the businesses in Sugar Hill are small or home-based. “That’s the lifeblood of our community,” says Hembree. “When we realized that fact a few years ago, we decided to turn our old city hall into a business incubator. It’s called The Suite Spot at Sugar Hill and it’s now completely full. We have about 40 co-working members and 12 small local businesses that lease space upstairs. An offshoot of that was the Sugar Hill Business Alliance (SHBA). That organization ranges from 100 to 200 members; they do monthly networking events with each other and have been invaluable in helping us get a lot of projects done in our downtown. We’re also very thankful for our close relationship with Gwinnett County. We do lots of joint projects such as road construction, paving, and sidewalk installation with them. From an economic development standpoint, our partnerships with the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and Partnership Gwinnett have been key in helping us grow the business community in Sugar Hill.” Eyeing the future of the city, Mayor Edwards reflects, “I’d like to see Sugar Hill continue on its path to having a thriving downtown with an old town feel. Our Eagle Theater has an art deco style, but it’s brand new. That’s the unique thing, we’re building everything from scratch, but we want to make it look like it’s been there for decades. We’re also looking for the right public/ private partnerships for residential downtown, and other opportunities. When I took office in 2003, multi-family was a dirty word. But now, it seems to be the right fit to have a tight, dense housing component to an entertainment district. That’s what I’m looking at. If you want to see a play, go to the splash pad, work out in the gym, go to a bar, or eat dinner, you’ll find it all in downtown Sugar Hill.” SUGAR HI LL , GEORGI A