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Smyrna hires planner, starts master plan for First Baptist Church site; stone chapel to remain
Summary
City staff and a council advisory committee have engaged MKSK to lead a master planning and public-engagement process for the 9-acre former First Baptist Church site; the city purchased the property with bond financing and will retain the stone chapel for public use.
Smyrna city officials announced plans to develop the former First Baptist Church property into a mixed-use expansion of downtown after contracting planning and public-engagement work with MKSK.
The city acquired the roughly 9-acre site in December using bond financing of about $16 million, Mayor and staff said; sales proceeds from any future development will be used to pay down that bond. Andrea Worthy, the city’s economic development director, told residents MKSK was chosen from 15 proposals because of its planning experience and a “robust public engagement process.”
Why it matters: the council called the acquisition a rare opportunity to expand downtown retail, housing and green space on land the city controls, and said a market-based plan is needed so developers will consider building there. The council emphasized retaining historic elements: agreements made during purchase require the stone chapel at King and Church to remain in public use.
City staff described a three-phase process that began with consultant selection and will move through market analysis and community workshops this spring and summer, then feasibility testing and an implementation strategy by year’s end. Urban Partners, a subcontractor, will perform the market analysis and help estimate parking and infrastructure needs such as power and stormwater capacity. Staff said the plan will produce a “sales pitch” packet to solicit qualified developers through a competitive process once community input and market feasibility are aligned.
Councilman Travis Lindley, who chairs the Church Redevelopment Advisory Committee, said the committee has visited comparable downtowns and is trying to borrow best practices. Lindley said the committee includes council appointees and downtown business representatives and that the group’s goal is broad public engagement before finalizing recommendations.
The city stressed multiple engagement channels: in-person workshops, stakeholder roundtables, pop-up events at festivals, an interactive project website and online surveys. Worthy said residents should watch city social channels and the project website for meeting dates and interactive tools coming in the next weeks.
What is set in place: the city will retain the stone chapel for public use; the council said proceeds from redevelopment will be applied to the bond used to purchase the property. Exact timelines, the preferred developer, and detailed program components remain under study and will be finalized through the public engagement process.
The council invited comments from residents and encouraged participation in the upcoming workshops and online engagement tools.
