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Fayetteville gets funds to buy, plan downtown park By JOHN
MUNFORD
Fayetteville has been awarded a $1.5 million grant to create a passive recreation area downtown that will feature walking trails and other amenities. The grant came from the Atlanta Regional Commission through a special program called the Liveable Centers Initiative, which is designed to increase pedestrian traffic and reduce automobile traffic. The "Village Green" would be located off Ga. Highway 85 just north of Hwy. 54 and will likely feature a signature feature just off Hwy. 85 the same way the fountain at Heritage Park sets off that area, Morton said. The idea is to increase the area downtown and hopefully encourage mixed use buildings around the Village Green area, Morton added. He envisions more specialty retail outlets coming to the downtown area. "It will basically make downtown larger," Morton said. "It's a nice downtown, but it's relatively small compared to other places." The city completed its LCI study process earlier this year, and a report recommends that the Village Green be used as a place to hold community events including the city's art festivals and summer gatherings. A nationally-known real estate consulting firm has said Fayetteville has a future need for more small-scale specialty stores even though there is a glut of normal commercial space. Morton said the public area would also connect downtown and the new Villages at LaFayette subdivision. The city does not own the property for the Village Green now, and acquiring the land and designing the project will begin next year, with construction slated for 2005, Morton added.
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