“For at least 50 years, our motto was ‘The City of Homes’. We really were a bedroom community for people that commuted to Atlanta to work in some of the larger industrial complexes,” depicts Mayor Trey King. Noting that the city has experienced a housing boom every ten years since the 1980s, he adds,“Now we’re experiencing something that we have never experienced before. I would say it’s exponential growth in the city, as we are one of the few places in Gwinnett County that are not built out.” A key factor in this growth is Dacula’s ideal location just 30 miles from Georgia’s major cities of Atlanta and Athens, making it a desirable place for those seeking the balance between small town life and big-city career opportunities. While generations of families have continued to call Dacula home, the community is growing its commercial and residential offerings, attracting an influx of families and professionals. “We still have that hometown feel,” shares Brittni Nix, City Administrator. “There’s a lot of good accessibility with our road networks and our location, and there’s a lot that’s attractive to new and existing residents.” BUILDING A NEW COMMUNITY CORE Complementing Dacula’s historic downtown, the city is creating a new public gathering space known as the City Core Project. The first phase of the project will see the addition of a new municipal building, a city hall parking deck, amphitheater, and green spaces for community gathering. “We do have this great sense of camaraderie amongst the community members, but there has been no real official gathering space, so it’s been difficult to facilitate events and take things to that next level,” Nix acknowledges.“We’re really hopeful that this space will continue forward with that sense of community.” The second phase of the project will include private development, introducing new retail areas, and creating a walkable, thriving city center. “All of this came out of our urban redevelopment plan that we officially approved last year to really help revitalize the area as a whole. The long term vision is to have the new city core are and the historic downtown 101 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 03 DACULA, GA
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