Wright Touts City's Land Purchases, Improvements

Mayor Ken Wright touted several city achievements Friday, speaking at the weekly meeting for the Dunwoody Rotary.

Wright noted several big changes and events for the city during the last year, chiefly two land deals that aim to expand the city’s park land – the recently completed land purchase and another piece of property for which the city has entered into a sales agreement.

Wright has been the mayor since Dunwoody was formed in 2008, will be stepping down this winter after one term in office.

Wright said the city’s purchase of the 16-acre ‘PVC Farm’ property was a smart purchase.

The land was foreclosed, originally intended to be developed to be for townhomes and, later, apartments.

The city had been “eyeballing this site for more than a year,” Wright said. After a year of negotiations with Wells Fargo, the property owner, which included a lot of back and forth, and the city walking away from the deal at one point, a deal was negotiated.

“We were very patient,” he said. “And I think very smart”

The city now officially owns the property, which it purchased for $5 million.

“I think we did get an excellent price,” Wright said.

He said he later heard from a friend and executive at a home building firm that they’d also been looking at the site and had made several offers.

“Y’all got a hell of a deal,” Wright said the man told him.

Nearby, the city has entered into a sales contract to buy 24-acres of property in Georgetown for which the city has a purchase agreement on the table, Wright said the price was very good as well.

The site is the former home to the Emory Hospital.

Wright said that six years ago, the property owners rejected a deal for $1 million an acre. The city’s negotiated deal falls in at $272,000 per acre.

“I think we have a very attractive price,” he said. ”But even more important to me, is that if the citizens go forward, this is an awesome parcel. It will tie right into Brook Run.”

The purchase of 19 acres of that site will be dependent on residents passing a parks land acquisition bond in November.

Among other accomplishments Wright highlighted Friday:

• hiring community development director Michael Starling, who has helped recruit technology companies to Dunwoody

• The city’s new agreement for 911 service with ChatComm

• the city winning the Golden Shoe Award for pedestrian friendliness award

• Clean, Fix and Shine-up Dunwoody day

• movie night at Brook Run Park

• Veterans Day in Dunwoody

• the approval of the Dunwoody Village and Georgetown Master Plans

• the city’s Bronze award for sustainability by Atlanta Regional Commission