shotinthearm.jpgThe redevelopment of “downtown” Alpharetta, known as the City Center project, has been delayed pending an appeal to the lawsuit over Tax Allocation Districts and their constitutionality in Georgia.  At this point, I believe that this delay is just a bump in the road and eventually the way will be clear to redevelop the Alpharetta City Hall and the surrounding blocks.  But don’t look for demolition to start in May as hoped.

However, what I really wanted to recognize here is that Alpharetta IS DOING SOMETHING!  Alpharetta has a plan for the future and is developing projects to support it:  Encore Park, Prospect Park, Westside Parkway to name a few.  City Center is just one of the major development efforts.

Contrast this to Roswell.  Don’t get me wrong; I love Roswell.  Roswell is quaint.  Roswell has that “old southern feel.”  Roswell is closer to town (The Perimeter and Atlanta); Roswell has awesome parks and recreation facilities.

Roswell is also getting older and the city leadership cannot come to consensus on any redevelopment projects.  Regardless of who says what, the fact of the matter is that I cannot name one project for you that has significantly changed the face of Roswell in the last decade. 

Roswell has been the favorite child of Atlanta for sometime:  Rated “Best Place to Raise a Family” etcetera, etcetera.  Every REALTOR puts this propaganda on the dining room table for prospective buyers to see and hopes that they don’t notice the published date and get back in their car and drive to Alpharetta or further north.

Alpharetta has the corporate offices, the newer commercial activity, the mall and now a national reputation.  Roswell needs to find its own identity in North Fulton since it sister city is taking a lot of the spotlight and there are two new sibling cities demanding attention:  Johns Creek and Milton.

A lot of the debate in Roswell is about the Roswell East redevelopment project at Holcomb Bridge Road and GA-400.  Yes, this would significantly increase the population density at an already congested intersection.  But one of the major reasons we have traffic problems is precisely because we don’t have higher density development.  People travel further here because they live more spread out and mass transit options don’t work unless you have population concentrations.

Roswell needs a shot in the arm – some would argue a slap in the face – to get going and revitalize itself.  It is starting to show its age.  Go shopping for a $400k house in Roswell and then go look in Alpharetta or Cumming.  Roswell has got to understand that it has to stay competitive and that the consumer likes newer rather than older.