Month: June 2022

When it comes to revitalizing Gwinnett Place Mall, Gwinnett residents have spoken: They would like to see affordable housing, neighborhood services, incentives for existing businesses in the area, job support, and a central location with regional and accessible transit. 
“It’s not often that we have the chance to revive a site that holds fond memories for so many,” said Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson. “The County pursued this work with the goal of centering marginalized communities most at risk of displacement through large-scale redevelopments such as this one.”
In addition to the Community Partner Advisory Board guiding the process, several community-driven events were held over the course of the last year to streamline responses and gain valuable feedback. Last September, an Open House served as an interactive hub for questions centered around equity. From there, the CPAB hosted several small-group conversations coined Meetings-in-a-Box, followed up by one-on-one interviews and a questionnaire. Finally, the advisory board hosted the Reclaim Gwinnett Place Mall Block Party to facilitate and finalize the redevelopment discussion.
“We are doing something we’ve never done before in this region,” said District 1 Commissioner Kirkland Carden. “The plan is a thoughtful market-driven approach that reinvests in the economic engine for our county.”
Here is a breakdown of the five themes that emerged from the community’s responses:

Housing: Ensure existing residents of the mall can remain in the area and share in the benefits of redevelopment
Neighborhood Services: Support existing and new Gwinnett residents as the County grows and becomes increasingly diverse
Small Business: Offer existing businesses in the mall area new opportunities to grow and thrive
Jobs: Generate jobs for Gwinnett residents that enable them to support themselves and their families
Cultural Activity Center: Become a vibrant, regional destination, with transit connectivity, that generates prosperity for communities and the County

 In the next major milestone for the mall’s future, the Board of Commissioners will evaluate themes from the Reclaim Gwinnett Place Mall Project and outcomes from the Gwinnett Place Livable Centers Initiative study and use the findings from both plans to prepare a Request for Information to solicit proposals for the redevelopment of Gwinnett Place Mall.

Gwinnett Water Resources has partnered with Gwinnett/Walton Habitat for Humanity to provide plumbing and septic repair assistance to Gwinnett residents through the Water Resources Assistance Program.
Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds were awarded to Gwinnett County in the amount of four million dollars for home plumbing repairs and septic system conversions and repairs. The County has allocated up to one million dollars to Habitat for Humanity in 2022 in partnership with WRAP. Future funds will be allocated to the program on an annual basis. Qualified Gwinnett residents can apply for home plumbing repairs associated with damage caused by leaks, retrofitting of toilets, faucets, and showerheads, and repair or replacement of failing septic systems.
The Environmental Protection Agency notes that the average family can waste 180 gallons per week, or 9,400 gallons annually, from household leaks. Additionally, installing water-efficient fixtures can cut water use by at least 20 percent. A failing septic system could also cost a homeowner thousands of dollars in repairs or replacement and can lead to environmental issues. 
“We are so excited about the WRAP program and the number of households we will be able to help with this program funding,” said Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Brent Bohanan. “We have been searching for ways to increase the number of families we can serve in Gwinnett County with home repairs. This program will allow us to increase our impact by 400% over the next five years. It will also allow us to provide much needed plumbing repairs for those in need in our community.”
To qualify, household income cannot exceed 60% of Area Median Income annually, based on family size. The applicant must also own and reside in the home where services are needed. Residents can get more information and find out if they qualify by visiting GCGA.us/WRAP.  

Through a blind taste test and vote, the Georgia Association of Water Professionals named Gwinnett County’s drinking water the Best Tasting Water in Georgia.
Winning this award qualifies Gwinnett to compete in the national American Water Works Association competition against utilities across the country. 
“We take pride in delivering high quality, great tasting water to the people and businesses of Gwinnett,” said Department of Water Resources Director Tyler Richards. “I believe we owe this award to the hard work, passion, ingenuity and dedication of our employees. They work around the clock to ensure our water meets the Gwinnett Standard.”
The county gets its drinking water from Lake Lanier. From there, it’s treated at two water production plants, Shoal Creek Filter Plant and Lanier Filter Plant. These two plants use advanced technology to provide more than 70 million gallons of drinking water to Gwinnett’s nearly one million residents. The water is continuously tested for quality and taste.
To find out more about Gwinnett’s drinking water, visit GwinnettWaterWords.com.