Franklin Gateway wins redevelop award for city

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The city of Marietta has been awarded the 2018 Regional Redevelopment Award for the revitalization of Franklin Gateway.

This announcement was made at the annual Metro Atlanta Redevelopment Summit by Partnership Gwinnett and the Council for Quality Growth.

In a November 2013 referendum, Mayor Steve Tumlin and City Council placed a $68 million redevelopment bond, most of it for Franklin Gateway, on the ballot, and Marietta voters approved it.

Since the referendum’s passage, Marietta has used the funds to buy four multifamilycomplexes and one commercial shopping center along Franklin Gateway, leading to new private investment and the creation of more than 2,600 jobs in the corridor.

Some examples:

■ 2015: The Home Depot relocated its Marietta Technology Center to Franklin Gateway, which has brought more than 1,800 jobs.

■ April 2017: Atlanta United Football Club opened its training facility on Franklin Gateway.

■ August 2017: Marietta finalized the construction of the Franklin Gateway Sports Complex.

■ December 2017: IKEA USA announced its second metro Atlanta store would be built on a Franklin redevelopment site.

■ February 2018: Drive Shack announced the development of a sports entertainment destination that combines golf, dining and games.

Since the bond was passed in 2013, police incidents in the area have decreased by nearly 40 percent and property values have risen more than 100 percent.