Hoschton moves to develop Mulberry Park; councilwoman says $500,000 grant is at risk if city delays

Council member Christina Brown told a town-hall meeting that Hoschton plans to develop a five-acre “Mulberry Park” and expects to put the project out to bid this month, but she warned the city faces losing a $500,000 matching grant if work is not begun before the grant’s 2026 expiration.

“We are literally giving away a half a million dollars if we don't get that,” Council member Christina Brown said, describing the grant and a $1.25 million estimate she has been given for the park’s core elements.

Brown said the city has budgeted about $750,000 toward the Mulberry project for the next fiscal year and that roughly half the project’s cost—$500,000—would come from a matching grant. She said the estimate for the work (amphitheater, two play structures and walking trails) is an early figure and that the project will go out to bid in the coming month; if bids exceed the combined grant and budgeted amount, she said the city could pare or phase elements to stay within available funds.

The Mulberry site is part of a larger contiguous set of properties that includes land the city bought from the Blankenship family. Brown said the original Mulberry parcel was about 6.78 acres before about 2 acres were set aside for interim parking, leaving about 4.78 acres for park development; the Blankenship addition adds roughly 15 acres, which Brown said would create a larger central green space when combined.

Brown framed the park project as a response to survey results from the city’s comprehensive…