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needs from the general population. County Commissioner Demarcus Marshall calls the project “an important
investment that improves safety, supports mental health
services, and enhances the overall protection of law enforcement officers and residents by creating a safer, more
secure environment for all.”
Mableton One of the benefits of being a city founded in
Alpharetta When North Point Mall opened in 1993,
it was one of the largest indoor shopping malls in the
country. Like many malls it has fallen off in recent years,
particularly after the pandemic, and local officials have
searched for ways to reinvigorate the area. Their latest
plan is a grand one: Jamestown Properties (who developed
Atlanta’s wildly popular and successful Ponce City Market)
and New York Life have filed rezoning applications to build
an Atlanta Battery-esque mixed use development. And it
would be anchored by a 20,000-seat arena that could host
an NHL team. Acquiring a hockey team is the tricky part,
as NHL officials say franchise fees would start at around
$2 billion. But the league is open to the idea of expansion,
and if a serious ownership group can team up with this
ambitious real estate project, a hockey team in Atlanta’s
northern suburbs could become a reality.
Heard County Whether you like, dislike or are indifferent towards the proliferation of data centers across
Georgia, one thing is for sure. The state is going to have
to expand its power grid to meet increased demand. That
fact spells good news for the city of Franklin, in Heard
County in west Georgia, where a Swiss power technology
manufacturer is building an $18.5 million facility that will
create as many as 60 full time jobs. PFIFFNER Group
(don’t ask us how to pronounce it) builds transformers
for high-voltage substations, crucial for modern power
stations to be able to transfer large amounts of electricity
into the grid. Already the company has started outreach
to connect with Heard County schools as well as West
Georgia Technical College to create apprenticeship opportunities and establish a workforce pipeline for the plant.
Lowndes County The County Board of Commissioners
and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the
jail’s medical and mental health expansion project.
The $9 million expansion adds 60 cells, 90 beds and
allows for the separation of inmates with mental health
2022 is that it makes it easy to incorporate AI and other technology into the local government infrastructure.
Where older municipalities might have decades (or even
centuries) of documents and records that need to be digitized, for Mableton Mayor Michael Owens he got to start
on the ground floor. Four years later Mableton is being
recognized by Smart Cities Connect with a prestigious
2026 Smart 20 Award, a nod to its use of “100 percent
cloud-native” municipal infrastructure. Using AI to keep its
staff lean, the cloud instead of brick-and-mortar IT infrastructure, and high-level cybersecurity protection typically
reserved for banks, Mableton and its digital city hall are
on the cutting edge of how American cities are starting to
embrace technology.
Macon The Otis Redding Center for the Arts opened its
doors in downtown just last year, but it’s already celebrating a major milestone with 1,000 students served through
programs and school visits. The Center, named after the
legendary singer who grew up in Macon, is a state-of-theart musical hub where young musicians can learn, practice
and record music, enabling future generations to embrace the city’s rich musical heritage. The Redding family
remains intimately involved with the Center, where they
hope to carry on Otis’ lifelong mission of empowering
young people through education and the arts.
Marietta This Cobb County city is building on its
reputation as a soccer hotspot with the announcement
that Arthur Blank’s newly purchased National Women’s
Soccer League franchise will build its training facility in
the city. The new training ground, located near Atlanta
United’s own facilities, will include a team headquarters
as well as four full fields and two half-pitches. Part of the
deal also included a land swap, with AMBSE transferring
over a 10-acre parcel of land that Marietta plans to turn
into a park. “We are excited to welcome NWSL Atlanta
to Marietta and proud to be the home of both women’s
and men’s professional soccer,” said Mayor Steve Tumlin.
“The arrival of the women’s team is certain to inspire
young women and girls in Marietta and beyond.”
If you’ve got news from your local community
to share with our readers, please email us.
phickey@jamesmagazinega.com
M AY /J UNE 2026
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