CITY
NEWS JUNE 2020
A COMMUNITY
UNITED
A COMMUNITY UNITED
Police Chief Scott Gray (right) and Deputy Chief Robert Mask (left) helped facilitate safety measures for the protest planned by Sandy Creek High School graduates RJ Howard, Logan Bolton, and Raven Neal.
On Saturday, June 6, an historic protest took place in Fayetteville. Two thousand-plus protesters and City leaders peacefully marched from Fayette Pavilion to Fayetteville City Hall to protest the events that led to the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and many others. Photos by Michael Clifton.
Pictured are (l-r) Deputy Police Chief Robert Mask, Fayetteville Mayor Ed Johnson, Tyrone Mayor Eric Dial, and protest organizer Raven Neal.
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Pictured are (l-r) City Manager Ray Gibson, Mayor Ed Johnson, Deputy Finance Director Carleetha Talmadge, Finance Director Mike Bush, and Senior Accountant Karen Austin.
CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE FINANCE DEPARTMENT EARNS 14TH CONSECUTIVE DISTINGUISHED BUDGET PRESENTATION AWARD The City of Fayetteville Finance Department has again received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2019 from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). This is the 14th consecutive year for the department to earn this award. Finance Department personnel work on budget documents yearround to accurately track the City’s income and expenditures. Each spring, they work with the City’s department leaders and elected officials to put together a financial plan for the year ahead. For the City of Fayetteville, the fiscal year begins on August 1 and concludes on July 31, so the proposed budget must be completed, approved, and adopted prior to August 1. Every year, independent
auditors review the City’s budget and budgeting process to ensure the top level of accounting and financial reporting is taking place. For the past 23 consecutive years, the City has earned the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by GFOA. This latest award from GFOA relates to the published Budget Book itself. Fayetteville Senior Accountant Karen Austin headed up the Budget Book project, working alongside Finance Director Mike Bush and Assistant Director Carleetha Talmadge. “Karen worked hard to present an excellent Budget Book, and we are grateful for her efforts as well as the ongoing work of the whole Finance Team,” Talmadge said. “We also appreciate the
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cooperation of all of our City departments.” “It is always a pleasure to present these awards to our Finance Department,” said City Manager Ray Gibson. “One of our Core Values as a municipal government is to be fully accountable to our elected leadership and to the citizens of Fayetteville for how we manage our resources. Budgeting and financial reporting is a big part of that accountability, so I am grateful to Mike, Carleetha, Karen and everyone else for their diligence in this area.”
FAYETTEVILLE’S COMMERCIAL GROWTH IS A MIX OF NEW BUILDS AND RENOVATIONS Across Fayetteville, new commercial buildings are steadily appearing, and they’re being occupied by businesses that are new to the area as well as some existing businesses looking to relocate and expand. This business sector growth has followed years of steady residential growth, which paused after the economic downturn more than a decade ago. Fayetteville’s population is on the rise again, and current estimates for City of Fayetteville residents alone exceeds 18,000, not to mention the tens of thousands more who live nearby and regularly travel into Fayetteville. While many residents are happy to see the business community growing, some say they would rather see the revitalization of existing retail centers already in Fayetteville. Others say they want to see new businesses funneled into the vacant buildings. The City’s government and business leaders generally agree with these same sentiments, but they also note that they must operate within parameters that don’t give them control of all the variables. For example, several retail
plazas along the Highway 85 North corridor through Fayetteville have been around for decades, and some suffer from outdated aesthetics and higher vacancies. However, because these commercial properties are privately owned, the City can’t require owners to make many of the changes and investments they would like to see. In many cases, these retail plazas are owned by private investment groups, some of which are located out of town and or even out of state. If their property is producing adequate revenue, they may have little motivation to change anything. Those investors that purchased the properties in foreclosure may have even less motivation to renovate or replace, because their acquisition costs were minimal, and construction/renovation costs have risen significantly in recent years. “It takes a lot to repurpose an existing building,” said Fayetteville Community Development Director David Rast. “If an absentee property owner is making money, they may have little incentive to invest in their existing properties.” Along with that, the cost to 6 - June 2020
build new construction is typically less than repurposing older commercial sites. This makes it even more challenging to encourage the redevelopment of older centers. Plus, imagine a prospective tenant being courted by the owner of an old retail building vs. a developer that promises a brand new building with all the “bells and whistles”. The uphill battle for the existing landlord can be quite challenging. That, of course, doesn’t keep City leaders from trying. Repurposing buildings and seeking tenants for vacancies is a high priority for Fayetteville, and it is one of the reasons the City teams up with the Fayette County Development Authority (FCDA). The FCDA has many of the larger vacancies and real estate investment opportunities listed on its website, www. fayettega.org. Updated community statistics and demographics are also found on that website. Larger retail centers, such as Fayette Pavilion on the north side of Fayetteville, go through ongoing cycles of losing and replacing tenants, but so far Fayette Pavilion has remained a primarily
Left: The old Fayette County High School Gym will be reused as a hospitality destination. Above: The old Fayette Mower location is being reused as a clothing boutique on one side and as a seafood market on the other. Below: A new Fayetteville City Hall is under construction in the Historic Downtown District.
retail center since its inception in the 1990s. The City and FCDA are in regular communications with the owners of these centers to offer assistance in keeping them fully leased. In the heart of Fayetteville’s Historic Downtown District, the City itself is investing in revitalization by building a new City Hall where the old Fayette County Public Schools headquarters was located. Just behind the new City Hall construction site are the old Fayette County High School Gymnasium and the Fayette County Public Schools Bus Barn, both of which are being architecturally redesigned to be repurposed as entertainment and hospitality destinations as part of a public-private partnership with local investors and entrepreneurs. “The City has been working with architects for months to draw up plans for the repurposing of these two unique buildings,” said Downtown Development Director Brian Wismer, who also plays a role in the City’s economic development leadership. “What we envision are authentic, historic spaces that have been reimagined for the community to gather and enjoy great food, drinks, and entertainment. The Bus Barn and Gym will be centerpieces of our new downtown, and we expect them to attract more of what our residents say they want to see in the heart of
Fayetteville.” Perhaps some of the greatest examples of repurposed buildings in Fayetteville can be found along the North Jeff Davis Drive corridor, with its mixture of office, retail, residential, and repurposed residential. Many historic homes from the early 1900s have been refurbished and rezoned to now occupy a variety of office and retail businesses. “We’re proud of the restoration efforts we see around the City, and North Jeff Davis Drive offers a lot of investment opportunity,” Wismer said. “The small town residential charm and nostalgia along that historic corridor is perfect for businesses looking to make a visual impact that stands out from the usual office park or retail center.” The City-owned Holliday Dorsey Fife Museum recently announced a campaign to get the North Jeff Davis Drive corridor added to the National Register of Historic Places based on the multitude of privately-funded, historical preservation projects represented there. “Fayetteville has been a choice residential community for several decades, and in recent years we’re seeing more commercial interest in the City,” Wismer said. “Our job is to accommodate businesses where we can while doing our best to maintain the aesthetic and quality-of-life values our residents say are important to them.” 7 - June 2020
CONSTRUCTION IN THE COMMUNITY Development updates from around Fayetteville
Construction locations within the City
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1. The upscale, climate-controlled Fayette Self Storage facility on Hwy. 54 West is nearing completion.
2. Final landscaping and interior work is taking place at the new Holiday Inn Express being built on Hwy. 54 West by Piedmont Fayette Hospital.
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3. Developers are now wrapping up the completion of a second cluster of the popular dwelling spaces, this one located more centrally within the multi-use development.
4. Pinewood Forest’s Central Park section of the development features a varied array of commercial and residential construction. Portions have opened, while much is still under construction.
5. Construction continues on the much-anticipated Hop City Barley Garden within the Pinewood Forest development.
6. Interior work is what remains to be completed at the Discount Tire store under construction on Hwy. 85 North across from Aldi
7. Construction work on the new Walmart Clinic is underway. The clinic will be attached to the front of the existing building.
8. Another Marksmen Properties warehouse/office building is going up along Promenade Parkway off Hwy. 85 North near Fayette Pavilion.
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City government and local business leaders officially welcomed Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers to Fayetteville this morning during a ribbon-cutting event hosted by the Fayette Chamber of Commerce.
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WELCOME NEW FAYETTEVILLE BUSINESSES STARTED IN THE MONTH OF MAY
BUSINESS
LICENSEE
ADDRESS
PHONE
ALIVE HOME CARE
VENTURES LLC
320 LANIER AVE W STE 200, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
(863) 812-1200
ASCEND ACCOUNTING SERVICES
BLAIR, SUSAN
163 GLYNN ST N, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
(770) 828-5718
BALLARD LAW OFFICE LLC
BALLARD LAW OFFICE LLC
113 GLYNN ST S, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
(770) 461-4222
CAREER IMAGERY LLC
CAREER IMAGERY LLC
105 HILLCREST TRCE, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30215
(678) 837-8770
ELDERBERRY LOTZ
RIVERA, TRICIA
375 BATES AVE, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30215
(770) 634-8672
GREEN DRAGON PEST CONTROL LLC
PETACCIO, BRANDON
115 CHURCHILL CT, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
(325) 237-2466
HONEY DO'S R US
MOORE, JASON
190 INNISBROOK WAY, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
(404) 449-2443
J WATTS SERVICES LLC
WATTS, JULIETTE
205 JEFF DAVIS DR N STE B, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
(770) 471-8888
LAW OFFICE OF SARA E FAULKNER
FAULKNER, SARA
205 JEFF DAVIS DR N STE D, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
(770) 471-8888
MK FAYETTEVILLE LLC/DEL TACO
KAMARA, MAKHTAR
109 BANKS STA, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
(770) 642-8009
NAIL ME LLC
HONG, THUAN
500 LANIER AVE E STE 906C, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
(813) 724-5288
ORTEGA CONTRACTING, INC.
ORTEGA, MIGUEL
125 CREEKSIDE TRL, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
(770) 853-7381
PERSONAL COMPANIONS HOME CARE LLC
BANKHEAD, KAYLA
220 LANIER AVE E STE 7, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
(513) 787-1109
PPG WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
PIEDMONT MEDICAL CARE CORPORATION
1265 HIGHWAY 54 W STE 302, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
(770) 506-1535
PREMIERE LOFTS AT PINEWOOD
CCC-PWF, LLC
345 HEATHERDEN AVE, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
(470) 462-9058
RC’S AUTOBROKER LLC
GREEN, RONNIE
500 LANIER AVE W STE 910, FAYETTEVILLE, GA
(407) 520-8190
SA MOTORS INC
SA MOTORS INC
500 LANIER AVE W STE 910C, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
SHE LOCS LLC
SHE LOCS LLC
500 LANIER AVE W STE 906, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
THUMBS UP DISTRIBUTING LLC
RUDOLPH, JAMES
240 INNISBROOK WAY, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
(678) 829-3831
YOUR HAIR SPA SALON
WHITE, ANDRENE
400 STONEWALL AVE W STE C, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214
(404) 451-2441
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