| Gateway85 CID November 2022 Newsletter
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Keeping Gateway85 Clean and Beautiful
I was honored Tuesday night to receive the Council for Quality Growth’s 2022 CID Professional Excellence Award. This could not have happened without support from the CID members, the district’s partners, public officials and my team at the CID. The strength and depth of the relationships we have built to move our district forward is simply incredible!
In our quest to make the front door of Gwinnett County as beautiful and accessible as possible, we at Gateway85 CID have undertaken a large landscaping beautification program that will be completed in early December. In addition, we will have completed another 1,100 linear feet of sidewalk from Best Friend Road to N. Norcross Tucker - improving mobility and access.
Our CID is the only one in the County to clean up along I-85 on an ongoing basis in conjunction with the Department of Transportation. In fact, 21% of the CID program’s budget is dedicated to land and maintenance initiatives, including beautification and trash pickup. Annually, Gateway85 removes 25 tons of garbage and debris from our district.
See the incredible cleanup pictures below!
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Gwinnett County's Redistricting
If you didn’t know, Gwinnett County’s district zonings were recently redrawn. If you are not familiar with the current district zonings, District 2, represented by Ben Ku, now has less of the Gateway85 area while District 1, represented by Kirkland Carden, has more of the CID, including a majority of the OFS site. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the local and state government officials representing our district and surrounding areas.
Gateway85 is working on an insert into the Gwinnett Daily Post that will provide citizens with an easy-to-use reference guide to reach their elected officials. The work we complete in our district is dependent on great members, partners and active public officials all focused on making Gateway85 an incredible location for business.
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Incredible Corridor
Based on a number of factors, including the drop in gas prices, we are placing our free bus service initiative, The Incredible Corridor, on hold. We will continue exploring cost-effective transit alternatives to get our hardworking district employees to their respective employers. We will continue to assess the demand, logistics and financing for these services.
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Congratulations to District 2 Commissioner Ben Ku on his victory in the polls on November 8. We look forward to continuing to work with him and District 1 Commissioner Kirkland Carden to move projects forward in our 14-square-mile district.
Congresswoman Lucy McBath, who represents our district, was re-elected. While the Senate race is to be determined, all will settle out after December 6.
The Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) also passed, which means a significant impact and benefit for Gwinnett County. This one-cent sales tax supports the upkeep and improvement of our communities. Every purchase made in Gwinnett County, including purchases made by visitors to the area, contributes to the support of capital improvement projects, like county and city facilities, acres of green space, parks and recreation facilities, new roads and improvements, police and fire stations, and libraries around the county.
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On November 15, Council for Quality Growth recognized Gateway85 Executive Director Emory Morsberger with the Professional Excellence CID award in honor of his successful career of leadership, dedication and professional excellence in serving metro area CIDs for the past 35 years. The event was hosted on the Comcast Center rooftop at The Battery Atlanta and presented by Cumberland CID and Georgia Power.
The CID Profesional Excellence Award recognizes the industry professional whose work has greatly impacted the region. Emory’s impressive and long-spanning career with CIDs extends beyond his current work as executive director of Gateway85 CID and president of Tucker Summit CID, as he has led the formation of more than 15 of Atlanta’s CIDs. Read more about the award here.
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In addition, Emory has been named one of Congressman Hank Johnson’s 2022 4th Congressional District of Georgia’s Unsung Hero Award Honorees! The program to honor these unsung heroes will be held Sunday, December 11, 2022, at 3 p.m. at OURS Studios located in Stonecrest, Georgia.
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Cole Porter, president of Porter Steel, may not have his company headquartered in the Gateway85 CID, but their presence is on display to thousands every day. The steel bridge scape on Jimmy Carter Boulevard at the entrance to the district – the same bridge that appears on Gateway85 CID’s website and email newsletter – was fabricated by Porter Steel.
Cole is a Gwinnett County native and rising star of the area with a vested interest and established connection to the community and Gateway85.
“The business ecosystem in Gwinnett is what I learned first, and many of my mentors in this market are based here.” He views the continued growth of the area as inevitable and natural, which brings a sense of excitement to imagining its future growth and development.
“Redevelopment is exciting for us, since those projects usually require what I call “pretty” steel – stairs, handrails and ramps – the parts you see that always need maintenance...What’s interesting to me about Gateway85 is how many businesses – how much entrepreneurial success there is in a small area …at the same time, it has some of the county’s toughest areas.”
According to Cole, some of that disparity is natural for any heavily industrialized area but he values Gateway85’s community improvement efforts and proactive initiatives more for it.
“Getting businesses to understand that beautification is important to keep a community on the cutting edge – that it makes consumers and clients feel safe and the businesses are well taken care of – is extremely important.”
According to Cole, it helps raise morale for the people in those communities, too. In this respect, Gateway85’s community improvement initiatives are similar to Cole’s vision for Porter Steel. Last year, the company started the Porter Family Foundation, which invests a portion of the company’s profits in a local nonprofit in every area where a Porter Steel construction project is completed.
Cole himself is involved with the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Duluth, which exemplifies his philosophy of combining business with responsibility and ethical purpose.
“In our company mission statement, we don’t mention steel. We take a more holistic view of our business and try to be leaders within the community and inspire change in an area by our example. We want to leave a trace of ourselves behind to better the community.”
“The CIDs, particularly Gateway85, are a great example of businesses not only maintaining their own autonomy but working together to improve the area for everyone.”
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Partnership Gwinnett is a public-private initiative dedicated to bringing new jobs and capital investment to Gwinnett County, Georgia. Since 2007, Partnership Gwinnett has worked with its local partners to attract and retain jobs, cultivate capital investment, support educational institutions, foster workforce development, and contribute to the exceptional quality of life found in Gwinnett.
Partnership Gwinnett targets five key industries: information and technology solutions, health sciences and services, professional and corporate services, supply chain management, and advanced manufacturing, and has developed knowledge communities and incubators such as The Water Tower, Rowen and Curiosity Labs. They also support Gwinnett’s education and leadership programs to develop the workforce.
Investing in Partnership Gwinnett is an investment in the prosperity of Gwinnett’s diverse business community and economic development and positions the county to compete in the global marketplace. If you would like to know more about investing in Partnership Gwinnett, click here.
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Gateway85 is proud to be the home of a number of incredible nonprofits that do amazing work to lift up our community’s residents. Get involved this holiday season with these wonderful charities:
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Norcross New Businesses
Green Boom, a leading biodegradable, water-repellent, oil-only absorbents manufacturer, relocated to Norcross, Georgia this past October. This move adds four new jobs and $2 million in capital investment to the city. With the move to their new facility, Green Boom became an in-house manufacturer using custom-built equipment to increase their productivity. Read more here.
CleanSpark Open House
On November 2, CleanSpark hosted local dignitaries and media on their Norcross campus for an open house. Read more here.
Cleanwave Fiber to Launch Fiber Services in Peachtree Corners
Clearwave Fiber is nearing the completion of a multimillion-dollar Fiber network expansion that will serve over 5,000 businesses in Peachtree Corners. See the announcement here.
Gwinnett County Project in Peachtree Corners Wins Deal of the Year
Intuitive, a global technology leader in minimally invasive care and a pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery, expanded in the City of Peachtree Corners, including a $500 million capital investment and 1,200 new jobs. Intuitive, Gwinnett County Government, City of Peachtree Corners and Partnership Gwinnett received the Large Community Deal of the Year Award at the Georgia Economic Developers Association Annual Awards on November 14! Read more here.
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Peachtree Corners Holiday Glow
Thursday, December 1, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Town Green
Peachtree Corners will be celebrating the holiday season by lighting a 6-foot Menorah and an innovative LED tree at the Town Green! Mark your calendars for this FREE event complete with complimentary hot chocolate, crafts and activities, a holiday sing-a-long, and a visit from a very special guest from the North Pole!
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Sparkle! Celebration Tree Lighting
Friday, December 2, 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Come enjoy the start of the holidays with classic Norcross holiday traditions.
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Historic Norcross Christmas Village
Friday, December 2 - Sunday, December 4
Historic Downtown Norcross
The Historic Norcross Business Association hosts this journey back in time with good, old-fashioned fun all weekend long! Support local businesses and have a blast doing it.
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Boardwalk Duluth Groundbreaking
Tuesday, December 6, 10 a.m.
4500 Satellite Boulevard, Duluth, GA 30096
Join the community for the groundbreaking for Boardwalk Duluth. Coffee and cookies will be served at 10 a.m. with the groundbreaking at 10:30 a.m. Tennis shoes are recommended. RSVP to tim.le@ndmaxim.com.
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