Mayor’s addressnotes city’s achievements

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Kennesaw Mayor Derek Easterling presented points about the city’s potential during his State of the City address to the Kennesaw Business Association on Jan. 8.

Easterling said Kennesaw has an unemployment rate of less than 2.7 percent, the lowest of any Cobb city. In 2017 and 2018, 2,100 jobs were created while 1,200 new jobs are projected for this year. The city has 50 projects in the pipeline, he noted.

Besides the completed Kennestone Marketplace, a $170 million investment, among the planned major developments are:

■ $240 million investment for 55 acres of East Park with townhomes, retail shops, restaurants, a park and a three-story hotel to be completed by 2022 with the adjacent Creekside development that will recreate the 1890 facade of the original Kennesaw School/ Martha Moore School as the centerpiece of the project to include retail, townhomes, restaurants, offices and breweries;

■ $65 million investment for 13.5 acres of Kennesaw Crossing with a four- to five-story hotel, multi-family homes, offices and retail to be opened by the end of 2020;

■ $61 million investment for 15 acres with 288 multi-f amily units at four stories, 15,000 square feet of restaurant/retail and a 3,000-square-foot redevelopment of Lighthouse Baptist Church with a new main building and fellowship hall — all to be completed by late 2020;

■ $27 million investment for seven acres surrounding the Lewis House, including its restoration;

■ $12 million investment for Terraces at Depot Park townhomes.

For a new recreation center, Easterling said the city and Cobb County plan to split the estimated cost of $4.6 million. Its preliminary planning and design are underway.

Information: facebook.com/CityOfKennesaw, kennesaw-ga.gov