Gwinnett Daily Post

SUWANEE - At Wednesday's Urban Redevelopment Agency meeting in Suwanee, the city's Economic and Community Development Manager Denise Brinson said that several major city projects are progressing as planned.

The new City Hall building construction should be completed by the end of this year, or during the first quarter of next year. The next two buildings to be erected in Town Center are next to the City Hall building. One will feature retail shops on the first level and residences on the second. The other will house professional offices, with Prudential Realty being the first to lease an office in that building. Construction of both of these buildings is under way.

The pedestrian tunnel project is now being re-engineered in an attempt to lower the cost of construction, but the re-engineering is being fast-tracked to keep the project on schedule, Brinson said.

These projects and others attracted the Heart and Soul Bus Tour to downtown Suwanee on Wednesday. The bus tour members represented government agencies, foundations and developers from across the state and who are visiting thriving downtowns in nine north metro communities.

Organized by the Georgia Cities Foundation, the three-day tour highlights some of the innovative ways in which key Georgia cities have created vibrant, attractive, livable downtown communities.

In addition to Suwanee, this year's Heart and Soul participants will visit Lawrenceville, Norcross and Buford, as well as Decatur, Roswell, Woodstock, Acworth and Kennesaw.