The City of Brookhaven cut the ribbon on their new city centre on August 9th with a day-long event. Mayor John Park cut the ribbon and delivered an address as the city opened the new 58,000 municipal building, which dedicates around 60% of the building to public uses, including an event hall, coffee shop, storefront for Explore Brookhaven, and rentable meeting rooms. The building sits on a previously-used parking lot for the Brookhaven-Oglethorpe MARTA Station. MARTA’s Acting General Manager was also in attendance for the ceremony, saying the project is “not just a construction project, but progress in partnership, collaboration, and the finalization of a long term vision.”
Brookhaven will lease the property from MARTA for 50 years following a lease agreement for almost $3 million back in 2022. Following the 50-year lease, ownership of the site will transfer to the city. The project also helped advance thanks to $1 million in federal funding allocated by Rep. Lucy McBath in 2022.
The building was designed to serve as the city’s gateway, with the city lacking a traditional downtown. This includes the push to feature the site as a tourist attraction, able to host events and includes the city’s tourism office. The building is also the first municipal building in Georgia constructed using mass timber and exposed wood beams, which helps reduce the building’s carbon footprint. The design was altered during construction due to concerns from citizens over the color of the mosaic glass dome. In total, the new building cost $80.7 million, which was paid for by urban redevelopment bonds to be repaid by the city’s special service district.
