COMMUNITY
Smyrna
Staff reports
Only 10 miles to the northwest, Smyrna is the Cobb city
closest to Atlanta and the county’s second largest. The city
has been nipping at Marietta’s heels with its growing economic
importance and housing stock, with a population of
about 55,700.
Smyrna is nicknamed “The Jonquil City” for the thousands of
yellow flowers, a species of daffodil, that bloom in the spring.
The Silver Comet pedestrian and bike trail runs through the
city. Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, has a Smyrna
address though is technically in unincorporated Cumberland.
Incorporated in 1872, Smyrna sits on former Cherokee
land. After gold was found in Dahlonega in 1828, the state of
Georgia began forcing the Cherokee off their land, settling
Cobb and leading to the founding of Smyrna. The state divided
the land and offered it to settlers through a lottery.
Originally known as Ruffs Siding, Smyrna was later
named Varners Station before acquiring its current name,
which was taken from one of the Apostle Paul’s seven Asian
churches in the Book of Revelation.
Smyrna’s downtown — or Market Village — hosts a mix of
retail, restaurants, office space and townhomes. The adjacent
Village Green includes a large roundabout, surrounded by
the Smyrna Community Center, a pond and arboretum,
Centennial Park, with green space and a fountain, and the
city-owned library. The library is unique in Georgia, being
independent from the county library system.
Places of Interest: Truist Park, Brawner Hall and the
Taylor-Brawner House at Brawner Park, two places listed
on the National Historic Register. The Market Village in
downtown Smyrna.
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Annual Events: Spring and Fall Jonquil Festival in April and
October; The Arthur Bacon Golf Tournament takes place the
first weekend in May; City Birthday Celebration in August;
Taste of Smyrna in September; Coming Home for the Holidays:
annual Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in December.
A Bit of History: Smyrna began as a religious campground
and takes its name from the Bible. Like Atlanta, the
city had a couple different names before the name Smyrna
was given to the campground area.
Famous Residents: Academy Award-winning actress Julia
Roberts and retired American football player Hines Ward.
The city is also known for having the first female mayor
elected in the state of Georgia, Lorena Pruitt, in 1946.
What’s New in Smyrna: Mayor Derek Norton took office
in 2020, and is the first new mayor after Max Bacon, who
was mayor for 34 years. Norton is pushing a redevelopment
of the downtown area.
UCB Pharmaceuticals, a Belgium-based global pharmaceutical
company, is expanding its U.S. headquarters in
Smyrna. With 400 employees, UCB is one of Smyrna’s largest
employers.
In recent years, Smyrna has expanded to the Chattahoochee
River with the new riverfront mixed-use Riverview
Landing development. Phase One of the project, The Eddy
at Riverview Landing at 6255 Riverview Road, includes
apartments with river and city views, retail space hosting
Reformation Brewery, a kayak launch and biking trails.
Phase Two, The Drift, is opening with 270 residential units
and 14,680 square feet of commercial/retail space. When the
two developments are complete, there will be 580 apartment
units, 317 town homes and 17,680 square feet of commercial/
retail space.