Powder Springs prime for development — downtown and across town
Inspired. Invigorated. Innovative.
24 FORECAST 2021
Photo courtesy Audrey Grace Photo.
Cobb’s oldest city — incorporated in 1839 as
Springville and later renamed Powder Springs in
1859 — is also the fastest growing in the county,
with its population increasing an estimated
13.1% from 2010-2019, according to U.S. Census
estimates. In addition to outpacing the county’s
five other cities, the city’s growth also eclipses that
of the state (9.6%) and the nation (6.3%).
Across several residential developments, just
over 100 home constructions were completed
2020, while 78 homes remain under construction.
More than 200 pending homes in the developments
have yet to be issued construction permits. Two
annexations were approved in in the city’s fiscal
2020, adding approximately 30 acres of residential
development for 183 new homes.
The growth in Powder Springs’ population count
is expected to continue — and be accurate. The
city led the nation, state, county and neighboring
cities in the 2020 Census self-response rate after
developing and deploying strategies to educate
residents about the importance of completing the
Census, including a campaign via the city’s social
medial platforms.
Engaging its population is a goal of the city,
and it has brought on communication consultants
to keep its website and social media accounts
regularly updated, create and share public service
announcements, highlight city businesses and
amenities through video, and develop a citywide
marketing campaign. Already seen in its ads,
the city’s “Get a Spring in Your Step” message
will continue to be rolled out as the city puts on
COVID-safe events in the months to come.
Already, residents and visitors can move their
feet — or bicycles — to the closest downtown to
the Silver Comet Trail, a 61.5-mile paved trail that
runs through Cobb, Paulding and Polk counties.
It starts in Smyrna and runs west to the Georgia-
Alabama line.
Downtown Powder Springs also includes
unique businesses (with more set to open in
2021), development opportunities for residential
and commercial builders, and the new Thurman
Springs Park featuring the Hardy Family
Automotive Amphitheater.
Powder Springs enjoys proximity to Interstates
285 and 20, and is a short drive from Hartsfield-
Jackson International Airport and numerous
metro Atlanta cities and communities.
Its population growth, existing amenities,
potential for transformative development and
more are reasons why the City is investing in itself
and in its future, continuing efforts to encourage
and recruit a diversified stock of residential and
commercial development.
Development possibilities and the feasibility of
new housing options within Powder Springs were
presented by city officials and industry experts
contracted by the city in an hourlong virtual town
hall meeting in December.
The town hall followed the Powder Springs
City Council’s move forward this fall to exercise
the city’s urban redevelopment powers as it
looks to implement the Livable Centers Initiative
plan, which was updated in 2016. To that end,
the council’s approval of a Downtown Urban
Redevelopment Plan enables the city and its
Downtown Development Authority to encourage
and partner with the private sector to develop
mixed-use projects within the core area and
infill development or redevelopment under a
development agreement that would establish
desired uses and development standards.
Possible development sites include the land
that currently includes City Hall and Community
Development, which could be replaced by a
mixed-use property with commercial space and
apartments or townhomes. Other downtown
sites have been proposed for townhomes, while
new restaurants are certainly a goal of any new
commercial downtown.
Powder Springs continues to move ahead, but
we want you to join us in our next steps forward,
whether as a resident, business owner or visitor to
our great city. Visit cityofpowdersprings.org and
follow us on social media too.
/cityofpowdersprings.org
/cityofpowdersprings
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