Sugar Hill, Georgia

According to Sugar Hill Mayor, Steve Edwards, “It goes back to when I started on council in 2003, and residents wanted a thriving downtown. We took the initiative and gradually, patiently, pulled it off. We sat idle for a long time, until we realized the timing was right to create a sense of place and we did it through the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). Our new City Hall – built in 2012 and opened in 2013 – was the catalyst that kicked everything off. Next came the amphitheater, called The Bowl, behind City Hall. We created a kind of regional entertainment district there. Adjacent to The Bowl is an outdoor plaza, and a splash pad for kids to enjoy. Then, we built the Eagle Theater and our E Center – the heart of our city.” The E Center includes a performing arts theater, as well as restaurants, commercial, retail, and a community gymnasium that has indoor courts for basketball, volleyball, and pickleball; tread mills; weight machines; and a walking track. Free gym memberships are offered to Sugar Hill residents – within the first three months, over 4,000 residents joined. The next step for downtown is the residential component. A $78 million private investment across the street from City Hall, The Broadstone, will feature carriage houses, apartments, and restaurants. This addition to the downtown will also house the city’s art gallery and history museum and will include a new public park directly across from City Hall where the old town green was located. A $50 million assisted living and memory care facility designed by Harrison architects is breaking ground in the next few months. Three additional private sector projects, valued at over $200 million, are also scheduled to begin construction in the near future and will bring additional housing options. SUGAR HI LL , GEORGI A