Newnan gets $120,000 to study redevelopment
By JOHN A. WINTERSjohn@newnan.com
Newnan has won a $120,000 grant to study redevelopment opportunities near the old Newnan Hospital and other industrial properties.
The award was given by the Atlanta Regional Commission's Livable Centers Initiative as part of an overall $654,000 in grants awarded to various metro Atlanta communities. The grants help cities develop new plans for quality growth.
The LCI program is funded with federal transportation dollars. The grants fund 80 percent of the study, with the recipient making a 20 percent match.
“We are honored to be selected by the ARC as a recipient of this grant. The project will provide an opportunity for the City to study redevelopment in the downtown area and develop specific action items designed to increase the livability of our community,” said Newnan Mayor Keith Brady.The city already is moving forward with plans to redevelop the old hospital property on Jackson Street for a new University of West Georgia campus. That project, once finalized, is expected to cost about $15 million.
"Communities are eager to revitalize their town centers and underutilized properties to create places that foster a vibrant neighborhood feel and environment," added Doug Hooker, ARC Executive Director. "LCI grants have helped communities re-imagine what they can be, and then helped them make those plans a reality."
According to a press release, "since its inception in 1999, LCI has assisted 111 communities with more than $154 million in planning and implementation grants to devise strategies that reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality by better connecting homes, shops and offices."
