Cobb County now has seven cities which comprise approximately 35 percent of Cobb’s citizens. Dating back to 1834, Cobb’s inaugural city, Marietta, pre-dates both Atlanta and Chattanooga, while Cobb’s newest city, Mableton, just elected a new Mayor and City Council last month for the first time in 107 years. Each municipality has its own local charm, and our seven cities provide unique and important contributions to stimulate our county’s positive economic growth and quality of life. By providing a sense of place to residents and visitors, each city has cultivated their own communities and established themselves as great places to do business.
Cobb’s northernmost city, Acworth, has created a thriving environment for their local businesses in their historic downtown. Additionally, embracing its natural resources, the City has leveraged Lake Acworth and connected its downtown to the lake with trails, parks, and beaches. These connections have created an attractive environment for projects like The Logan – a 16-acre, mixed-use development just outside of the City’s downtown. Once built, the Logan will be the largest economic development investment that’s happened to-date in Acworth.
Over in the City of Austell, you will find Cobb’s largest rail intermodal facility, making it the logistics hub of the county. Meanwhile, the City’s historic downtown is a vibrant and growing economic development engine that is leading to tremendous investment in new breweries, restaurants, and housing. Looking ahead, the City is working on a plan to redevelop the historic Threadmill Complex into a live-work-play environment to bring a Ponce City Market-like development to the heart of Austell.
Likewise, the City of Kennesaw has embraced its rich history and created a downtown that accentuates its historic assets to attract new businesses, residents, and visitors. Amenities such as the Smithsonian-affiliated Southern Museum, Smith-Gilbert Gardens, and Depot Park provide unique opportunities for emersion into the community. The City’s investments in these assets have yielded tremendous results exemplified by the private development investments that have been made over the last several years in downtown Kennesaw.
While it’s Cobb’s oldest city, Marietta’s historic square and downtown area has undergone a tremendous revitalization in just the last decade. With great restaurants, breweries, and event spaces, Marietta has gone far beyond its original purpose of being the county seat – it’s a great place to enjoy on a Friday night, too! Among many assets, Marietta has leveraged venues and events like The Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theater, the Georgia Ballet, Marietta Square Art Walk, and Chalktoberfest to distinguish the city as a hub for arts and culture.
Reaching a new milestone, the City of Smyrna recently celebrated its 150th birthday. Building on this momentum, Smyrna is well underway with the redevelopment of its downtown area, which will create a brand-new pedestrian-friendly, interactive greenspace for all ages and has sparked several new economic development projects. Smyrna is also working on a major redevelopment of the South Cobb Drive corridor to convert the aged highway into a pedestrian- and transit-friendly corridor that will be a catalyst for continued redevelopment.
Setting an example, the City of Powder Springs has shown that investment in your city yields significant returns for your community. Through the development of Thurman Springs Park and the Hardy Family Automotive Amphitheater, the City has demonstrated how a local government can implement projects that have transformational impacts on the entire community. Additionally, the City’s continued investment in Linear Park along the Silver Comet Trail has enabled Powder Springs to offer recreational opportunities for its residents and visitors from across the region.
Mableton, now officially incorporated, has a long history of being a tight-knit community that has seen great leadership from groups like the Mableton Improvement Coalition, the South Cobb Area Council, and the Sweetwater Mission. Although it’s Cobb’s newest city, Mableton isn’t starting from scratch. They already have great amenities like the Mable House Barnes Amphitheater and Mable House Arts Center that provide the community with arts and entertainment opportunities. Now that Mableton is an official municipality with a new Mayor and City Council, the City can look to their peers throughout Cobb to see great examples of how continued investment into your community can foster economic development and continue to enhance the community as a whole.
To read the rest of this article, view it on the Cobb Business Journal‘s website here.