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URA economic-development update: strategic plan, grants, projects and Main Street activities
Summary
Economic Development Director Miss Dennis presented the updated Forest Park URA strategic plan by TSW, noted city acceptance into the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing, previewed grants and business events, and summarized pending projects including a MARTA O&M facility, Cherry Street homes and a 60-unit Florence on Main proposal that plans to reapply for DCA tax credits.
Economic development staff briefed the URA on several initiatives, including the updated Forest Park URA strategic plan prepared by TSW, acceptance into the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GIC), multiple grant opportunities for local businesses and pending development projects along Main Street.
Miss Dennis said the updated strategic plan is in the packet with only minor name and text edits from the version presented the prior month and confirmed that no immediate formal action was required. She also highlighted several public-facing initiatives: a winter wreath showcase along Forest Parkway and the "Best of Forest Park" business awards event scheduled for the next morning, with Eric Stallings of Forest Park Dwarf House serving as featured speaker.
On housing and grants, Miss Dennis reported that Forest Park has been accepted into GIC and that the United Way's "Building a Brighter Future Together" citywide grant (roughly $10,000) will announce winners Dec. 29. She also pointed to county and corporate grants (the Clayton Future Makers momentum500 program and American Express Shop Small) the city is promoting to local businesses.
Miss Dennis reviewed pending development activity: MARTA's operations-and-maintenance facility on Old Dixie received a variance and is awaiting building plans and permits; six single-family homes on Cherry Street are expected to finish permitting and construction within about 45-60 days; and the Florence on Main 60-unit mixed-use proposal missed DCA tax-credit scoring by two points and intends to reapply next year. She noted that Forest Park's GIC recognition should help applicants on future rounds.
Miss Dennis also described business-retention and recruitment activity (a vertical hydroponic farming company moving into the old Calera site, sign permits issued and a ribbon-cutting planned for early 2026) and ongoing work on GIS parcel corrections with the county. The URA discussed next steps for an item called 'grapevine' and agreed to revisit it on the January agenda.
No formal actions were taken on these items; staff will follow up with project-specific materials and grant-application status updates.
