Area Plans|Southwest Cherokee Opportunity Zone

Southwest Cherokee Opportunity Zone

Summary

The Southwest corner of Cherokee County was primarily developed prior to 1980. Since then the area has been overlooked by the development community. This has resulted in a serious lack of investment and reinvestment by property owners along Hwy 92 and the surrounding area. The existing properties and structures are beginning to show signs of pervasive poverty, underdevelopment, general distress and blight.

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners, the Cherokee Office of Economic Development and Cherokee County Planning have developed a partnership to address these challenges. Working together, the partners have developed a redevelopment plan and secured an Opportunity Zone designation for the area from the State of Georgia, which will provide tax credits to employers for new jobs created within the area. Since April 2010, there has been lots of interest from businesses in moving or expanding in the area because of the Opportunity Zone.  The future for the Southwest Cherokee Corners Area is bright because of this coordinated public-private effort to spur new investment.

Purpose

The Southwest Cherokee Opportunity Zone and Redevelopment Plan are intended to spur economic development and job growth in this portion of Cherokee County through coordinated public-private partnerships in development and redevelopment. The purpose of this plan is to outline the actions necessary to produce an environment where residents can live, work and play in a pleasant and sustainable environment.

Plan Documents

Southwest Cherokee Corners Urban Redevelopment Plan

Official Opportunity Zone Map from DCA - April 14, 2010

Plan Status

Officials from the State of Georgia approved the final boundary for the Opportunity Zone on April 14, 2010. Since then, there has been a significant increase in intrest and prospects, according to local commercial brokers and agents.  The Cherokee Office of Economic Development (formerly the Development Authority of Cherokee County) has also moved forward with an ambitious plan to develop a 55 acre parcel as a light industrial business park within the Oppportunity Zone.