Latest News

SNELLVILLE – Events on the Towne Green are back!

After a hiatus due to Covid-19, the popular concerts on the lawn in front of Snellville City Hall return May 8 – a "Mom's Night Out" – with the ever-popular Shag music group The Swingin' Medallions. The show starts at 5:30 p.m. and the first 100 mothers in attendance will receive a free rose.

Masks and social distancing is encouraged and there will be plenty of sanitizing stations placed throughout the lawn for these free events. Centers for Disease Control and state guidelines regarding Covid-19 will be in effect. Organizers ask everyone to be courteous and keep their distance from the people next to them as they want to ensure a safe environment for everyone to enjoy the event.

"We are excited to bring back the events that Snellville residents and visitors have come to know and love," said Mayor Barbara Bender. "While precautions are in place, we will still offer the same fun-filled evenings friends and family have enjoyed over the years while attending an event on the Towne Green. We hope to see you soon!"

The Live! on the Lawn Concert Series is as follows:

6-9 p.m., May 29 – The Wildflowers – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tribute

The Ninth Annual Snellville Memorial Celebration will take place in front of the Veterans Memorial from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

6-9 p.m., July 24 – The Ray Howard Band – Earth, Wind and Fire Tribute and Motown Favorites

7-9 p.m., Aug. 21 – 20-RIDE – Zac Brown Tribute

6-9 p.m., Sept. 18 – Purple Madness – Prince Tribute and Timeless Tina – a Tribute to Tina Turner

Attendees can reserve a table at a concert for six people for $125. Tables are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information visit www.experiencesnellville.com.

"We are so happy that we are able to bring our concerts back to the Green this year," said Snellville Tourism and Trade Executive Director Kelly McAloon. "Join us for a rocking good time in Snellville!"

Food Truck Fridays are also back on the Towne Green. The events take place from 4-8 p.m. and are set for May 7 and June 4.

From left, Councilman Tod Warner, Mayor Pro Tem Dave Emanuel, Mayor Barbara Bender and councilmembers Cristy Lenski, Gretchen Schulz and Solange Destang break ground on The Grove at Towne Center.

Snellville, GA — The City of Snellville, along with co-developers CASTO and MidCity, is pleased to announce that Mid Cast Snellville has commenced demolition and broken ground on The Grove at Towne Center. The ceremony initiated The Grove's $85 million first phase, which is scheduled to begin to deliver in 2022.

The city of Snellville and Mid Cast team have been working for more than three years to plan and design the project. The groundbreaking event commemorated the first visible progress of the highly anticipated town center project. Attendees heard from key leaders of the project, including Mayor Barbara Bender, and witnessed a ceremonial groundbreaking. There was also a surprise presentation of a $500,000 donation from the Snell Family Foundation. A portion of the funds are expected to go toward a public art statue of City founders James Sawyer and Thomas Snell.

"We're ecstatic to begin visible progress on this long-awaited project," said Snellville Mayor Barbara Bender. "This is a momentous occasion for the City and its residents."

The Grove at Towne Center will be a large scale, mixed-use town center property, comprising 18 acres between Oak Road, Wisteria Drive, North Road and Clower Street, in downtown

Snellville. The Grove at Towne Center's first phase will include over 50,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, office and entertainment space, and approximately 262 multi-family luxury apartments. In addition, the new Elizabeth Williams Library will be constructed and include a 2nd floor business development/accelerator space.

For more information and updates on the Grove at Towne Center project visit www.snellville.org/the-towne-center-snellville.

The Snell Family Foundation donated $500,000 to project. A portion of the funds are expected to go toward a public art statue of City founders James Sawyer and Thomas Snell.

ABOUT CASTO

CASTO, a fully integrated real estate organization since 1926, is a recognized leader in the ownership, management, acquisition and development of multifamily residences, mix-use properties, commercial shopping centers and office buildings. CASTO's growing portfolio currently includes more than 26 million square feet of commercial property and more than 5,000 residential units located throughout the midwestern and southeastern United States. CASTO is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, and serves a variety of clients from five offices in Florida, North Carolina and Ohio. To learn more about CASTO, visit www.castoinfo.com.

ABOUT MidCity Real Estate Partners

Founded in 2009, Atlanta based, MidCity Real Estate Partners acquires, repositions, and develops office, and mixed-use properties. MidCity is known in the Atlanta market for their work on Alpharetta City Center, which was named a 2018 Development of Excellence for Exceptional Merit for Context-Sensitive Town Center Development, by the Atlanta Regional Commission. Through MidCity Realty Corporation, an affiliate real estate brokerage company, MidCity offers a full range of advisory services. MidCity is the successor company to The Griffin Company, a 35-year-old full service commercial real estate development and construction company headquartered in Atlanta, GA. To learn more about MidCity, visit www.midcitypartners.com.

ABOUT SNELLVILLE

Snellville's convenient Gwinnett County location, approximately 18 miles east of Atlanta and 45 miles west of Athens, has allowed it to prosper as a hub of commerce and retail in Northeast Georgia. Snellville's roots extend to 19th century London when two friends traveled to America and later started Snellville's rich history of commerce with stores of their own. Snellville is home to the award-winning Snellville Farmers' Market, a world class Veterans Memorial and one of the most decorated police departments in the state. Snellville is known for its dedicated volunteers and its celebrated diversity.

###

It is with deep sadness that the City of Snellville announces the death of Planning Commission Chairman G. William "Bill" Kingsbury.

He passed this morning on his 79th birthday.

Over the past five years, Bill battled health issues while diligently serving in his capacity with the city.

He was appointed to the city Planning Commission in September of 2015, was voted Vice Chairman in January of 2018 and Chairman in June of 2018.

"This is a big loss for city and community," said City Manager Butch Sanders. "He was valued participant in all of the city's conversations. His voice and input will be missed."

Kingsbury was also a member of the Downtown Development Authority.

"He was a great human, a mentor, and one of Snellville's best community advocates," said Planning and Development Director Jason Thompson. "Bill never missed an opportunity to serve."

A socially distanced memorial service is being planned for Saturday, April 3.

The first demolition on buildings in The Grove at Towne Center began March 8, 2021.

Here are some views from above courtesy of Mayor Pro Tem Dave Emanuel.

SNELLVILLE –The Grove at Towne Center took another big step forward Monday as Mayor and Council unanimously voted to begin the search for an architect to build the development's City Market.

The City Market, dubbed the "Mercantile", will be a two-story, 24,000-square-foot market complete with a unique dining experience and room or small- and large-scale events in the second floor. The Mercantile will be built on the corner of Wisteria Drive and Thomas Snell Way, a new road in the development.

The move allows the city to interview architects for the Mercantile which will be the centerpiece of The Grove.

In September, the city, along with co-developers CASTO and MidCity, announced the approval of a City Market construction and leasing agreement. And last month, Snellville's Downtown Development Authority has officially acquired the former U.S. Post Office building on Oak Road. It is the final piece of property needed in what will become The Grove, located between Wisteria Drive, North and Oak Roads and Clower Street. The former post office will be demolished to make way for luxury apartments and a 749-space parking deck later this year.

Demolition for The Grove's $85 million first phase began with asbestos abatement this week and is slated to deliver in 2022.

The Grove at Towne Center will be a large scale, mixed-use town center property, comprising 18 acres between Oak Road, Wisteria Drive, North Road, and Clower Street, in downtown Snellville. The Grove at Towne Center's first phase – including the Mercantile - will include more than 50,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, office and entertainment space, and approximately 250 multi-family luxury apartments. In addition, the new Elizabeth Williams Library will be constructed and include a second-floor business development/accelerator space.

In other city business:

• Mayor and Council voted to table rezone and land use permit that would have brought a 101-unit townhome development to Scenic Highway south of Henry Clower Boulevard until the developer can meet with neighboring residents to determine a better fit for the character of the area. The case will be reheard by Mayor and Council March 22.
• The developer of a five-story hotel proposed for Highway 78 near Fountain Drive withdrew his request for a special use permit to build the project after it was rejected by the city's Planning Commission and raised concerns from neighbors citing increased noise, traffic and unwanted lighting. The developer now has the opportunity to change his plans for a better use of the property.

The City has issued a request for bid for their Property & Casualty Insurance and a second bid has been issued for the sale of property. To get more details please go to our bid page.

There is nothing super about missing the biggest football game of the season because you are drunk sitting in a jail cell.

That is why the Snellville Police Department and the Governor's Office of Highway Safety are reminding everyone to always make the smart decision to never drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The Snellville Police Department will join state and local law enforcement agencies to prevent drunk driving crashes during Super Bowl weekend by taking all legally impaired drivers they find on the road to jail. No warnings. No excuses.

"Georgia law enforcement enforce DUI laws every day, but state troopers, sheriff's deputies and police officers know events like Super Bowl weekend lead to a greater probability of impaired drivers endangering the lives of everyone on the road," said Chief Roy Whitehead. "Drunk driving is a choice, and we are asking everyone to choose wisely by not getting behind the wheel when they know they are over the limit of .08 BAC. Those drivers who ignore our warnings may find themselves in a jail cell."

COVID-19 will prevent many people gathering at parties or at bars and restaurants to watch the big game this year. State and local law enforcement officers remind those fans who will have alcohol on their tailgate menu on game day to pass the keys to a sober driver should they need to travel.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 10,141 people killed in alcohol-impaired crashes in the United States in 2019.

While the number of alcohol-impaired driving deaths in Georgia in 2019 dropped by six percent from the previous year, alcohol is a factor in one out of four traffic deaths in the state.

"Georgia law enforcement officers do not want to have to arrest anyone for DUI, but they know they are preventing a possible DUI crash with every impaired driver they take to jail," Governor's Office of Highway Safety Director Allen Poole said. "All drunk driving deaths are completely preventable, and we are asking everyone to join our fight to save lives on our roads by choosing to never drive after drinking."

The Snellville Police Department, GOHS, and NHTSA offer the following tips to help stop drunk driving:

1. Choose a non-drinking person to be the designated driver before going out.
2. Do not let someone you know get behind the wheel if they have been drinking.
3. Let friends know they can contact you for a sober ride when needed.
4. Those hosting a party where alcohol is served should make sure guests leave with a sober driver.
5. Always wear your seat belt because it is the best defense against impaired drivers.

The Mayor and Council will discuss a 10th amendment to The Grove master development at a called meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Snellville City Hall.

To review the amendment click HERE

SNELLVILLE — The city's Downtown Development Authority has officially acquired the former U.S. Post Office building on Oak Road, the final piece of property needed in what will become The Grove at Towne Center.

The nearly 40-year-old building, located at the corner of Oak and North roads, will be demolished and make way for 250 multi-family luxury apartments and a 749-space parking deck later this year. Under the agreement, the city was required to buy and renovate property for a new post office. The new post office, a former SunTrust Bank location, is located at 2440 Wisteria Drive and opened in November.

"The U.S. Postal Service required that the only way to get them to agree to move was to find a new and better facility within one-half mile of their current operation," said City Manager Butch Sanders. "We located the old bank building, negotiated and purchased it from SunTrust and then renovated both inside and out to USPS standards."

The completion of the exchange agreement and acquisition are the latest steps in bringing the mixed use development to the city's downtown area.

In November, the city agreed to partner with developer MidCast LLC to design, build and lease the City Market building planned for The Grove and in December Mayor and Council approved the construction contracts for the parking deck with Winter Construction.

"By working closely with the U.S. Postal Service, the city was able to acquire a piece of property vital to making The Grove at Towne Center development a reality," Mayor Barbara Bender said. "In the months to come, residents will see a lot of activity in The Grove which will result in a transformation of our downtown and give them a world-class mixed use development they can enjoy and be proud of."

The costs associated with the Post Office acquisition and move totaled $2.25 million, $98,374 under budget.

The Grove at Towne Center will be a large scale, mixed-use town center property, comprising 18 acres between Oak Road, Wisteria Drive, North Road and Clower Street, in downtown Snellville. The Grove at Towne Center's first phase will include over 50,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, office, and entertainment space, and approximately 250 multi-family luxury apartments. In addition, the new Elizabeth Williams Library will be constructed and include a second-floor business development/ accelerator space.

Three automated traffic devices to help curb speeding will go live in front of three Snellville schools Feb. 7.

Snellville Middle on Pate Road, Britt Elementary on Skyland Drive and South Gwinnett High School on Highway 78 will have cameras placed in front of them to keep speeders at bay.

Cameras will be placed on posts outside the schools and take pictures of the license plates on the offending cars. An officer will verify the license plate number before a civil fine is levied.

Following a move by the Georgia Legislature making way for the devices, the program has been a success in locales such as Alpharetta, Lilburn and Duluth. A violation will be issued to those who drive 11 mph over the school zone speed limit.

The program is administered by ResdSpeed Georgia LLC which provides the equipment, sends the citation and collects the fine. The city will receive 65 percent of revenue from the program which will be used toward public safety.

Citations will be $80 for a first offense and $130 for a second offense. Offenders will not be given points on their license and the offense is not reported to state.

Based on the number of violations, previous pedestrians struck by vehicles and the need to ensure the safety of our young people, the city decided to implement this program to protect its citizens.