Gentrification of Flowery Branch, Georgia

W. Dale Ozaki

HIST 4110

The Gentrification of Flowery Branch

Its midnight and you are sitting at the corner of Atlanta Highway and Spout Springs Road, stopped at a red light. Thirty minutes pass. There are no cars in sight, except for the train in front of you, sleeping on the other side of red light. Should you go left towards Buford or right towards Oakwood? Either way, you are not going straight. You are on Flowery Branch’s schedule, and no matter how many hours, days and years pass, they only go by a second at a time. How can a town with so much growth and potential still have such simple flaws like a parked train blocking the only road home? This just goes to show that no matter how much things change, they always stay the same… or will they?

I have the blessed daily opportunity to live lakeside in one of the most beautiful landscapes in all of Northeast Georgia. In my nine years of residence, I have grown up a member of the crowds of people that have intruded upon this once quite and simple North Georgia town. The changes and growth that this town has experienced is the defined result of any community located outside of metropolitan cities. This phenomenon is known as gentrification and the outcome is often called an exurb. The addition of Lake Lanier and the gradual growth of population and commerce have shaped this community not only as a comfortable place to live, but a place of great economic opportunity and endless potential. Only a few traces of what this town was founded on remain. The ancient appearance of City Hall, the run down mills no longer in operation, and the little homes on the corner that look out of place compared to the large homes and commercial buildings being constructed all around them. How does this happen? Everyone notices the height of Atlanta’s growth amongst the skyscrapers of downtown, but do they notice the width? This ever happening sequence of events occurs outside of every major city, right before our eyes, but just under our noses. Flowery Branch is no exception.

Flowery Branch was founded in 1874, just one year after the Southern Railway System joined Charlotte and Atlanta. It is located 44 miles northeast of Atlanta, which can be a thirty-minute zoom or three hour frustration freight for Atlanta commuters on any given Thursday. Throughout the extensive growth of the past twenty years, Flowery Branch has maintained its hometown atmosphere. The town has a total area of about 10 miles and a current population of about 4500 residents. Sitting on the shores of Lake Sidney Lanier and at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this community serves as a recreational playground for Georgia’s both up and coming and elite residents and exhibits a thriving economy with much room to grow.

Though the farmland his now paved and the old mills are closed, Flowery Branch has continued its roots through the Wrigley Manufacturing Company. Originally opened in 1971 with 100 employees, it continues to grow in and excel as the largest gum manufacturer in the world with over 700 employees. The increase in population of Flowery Branch has diversified the workforce of the Wrigley Manufacturing Company allowing more potential laborers and more educated specialists emigrating from downtown Atlanta. The company’s employees are among the elite in their field, many of which that have Engineering Degrees, which direct the plant as the most efficient of Wrigley’s 13 world-wide factories. The company is continually expanding its factory and is currently beginning a multi-million dollar factory expansion project. The expansion of this plant and the job opportunities that will follow will be another factor that will increase Flowery Branch’s appeal to new residents and workers.[1]

The attraction of Flowery Branch has increased largely due to two factors. The more recent factor has been ESPN and the rest of the professional sports world. In 2001, the Atlanta Falcons constructed a new training facility in Flowery Branch that has brought much attention and commerce to the area. I was personally involved in the economic burst that occurred during the August practice week that was open to the public. A surge of over 10,000 fans and consumers flooded the small town to see the final week of practice before the preseason began and toured the town as well. The City of Flowery Branch used this as a great marketing opportunity and encouraged all retailers and newly developed communities to take full advantage of the traffic. As a retail manager, I saw an incredible amount of sales and traffic flow that week and am grateful to the Atlanta Falcons for the commerce that the organization and players bring to my small business. The attraction that the complex brings to the community poses to be a great economic advantage during a time of the year when this geographic location does not prosper well on its own.

The other factor that dominates above all is Lake Sidney Lanier. Not only for its attraction to tourists and residents of Georgia, Lake Lanier has contributed to Flowery Branch’s economic growth by displacing 38,000 acres of farmland into the inland recreational front runner of the southeast. The 540 miles of shoreline run through five counties, one of which is Hall where Flowery Branch lies. Sadly, in 1950 when the government acquired the land for the development of the lake, all of the buildings, homes, farmlands and even gravesites inside these boundaries were either relocated or destroyed. In some cases, these structures still stand underwater.[2]

The lake serves many purposes to Georgians. Buford Dam at the southern end of the lake produces enough electricity to supply 25,000 homes. Lake Lanier serves as the primary drinking water source for over 3 million Georgians including metropolitan Atlanta. When the lake officially opened to the public in 1957, its hidden purpose was exposed. Under the direction of the Corps of Engineers, over seventy-six recreational areas have been developed around the lake. An estimated 7 million visitors swim, boat and fish on Lanier annually. Of the ten marinas located on Lake Lanier, Starboard Marina sits on the edge of Flowery Branch providing lake access for boaters by launch ramps and rental slips. The restaurant that I manage is located inside this marina and I have personally seen the increase in tourists and residents on the lake over the past five years. The unique amenity of Lake Lanier has contributed to Flowery Branch’s development in a large way. Not many other cities have the growth opportunity that Lanier provides to its surrounding communities and Flowery Branch’s prosperity is thankful for it. [3]

The residents and newcomers to Flowery Branch are rarely from out of the country or even out of the state. The majority of newcomers to Flowery Branch come from just forty miles away, sprawling from metro Atlanta. When you are driving through downtown Atlanta, it is not uncommon to see billboard advertisements for suburban communities located “just 30 miles north.” Never will you see apartment advertisements in the suburbs for spots located “in the heart of downtown.” This conflict describes the constant war waging between urban and suburban communities. As more and more people move out of urban cities, less and less money is available through taxpayers to help repair and clean up the city. The worse this gets, the more people within the city desire to move out.[4]

The outcome has created exurbs, rural areas located miles outside of defined metropolitan regions and suburbs. These areas undergo rapid growth as new highway interchanges are built to enable commuters to efficiently travel to and from work. Housing developments are the front-runners of exurbs. Both commercial and retail construction follows soon after in a big way. In the late 1990’s, market research was done about this idea of urban sprawl. The study concluded that even though most Americans favor detached, single-family homes, they are increasingly fed up with the congestion of commercial development that comes as part of the package. These exurbs have all of the benefits of living within an urban environment, but with the benefit of more space and a more comfortable living situation.[5]

In contrast to urban sprawl, many newcomers maybe moving into fast paced suburban areas as a step from rural to urban life. Whether migrating from smaller towns, further outside metropolitan cities or upgrading from apartment living within suburbia, the appeal of these exurb communities is high. Though it is less likely that newcomers are using the residence as a temporary buffer before moving into downtown Atlanta, the idea is beneficial. The younger generation hesitant on jumping into an urban environment can benefit tremendously from using a fast paced exurb community as a stepping-stone. Studies have found that many of these people learn that the job opportunities available in suburbia can be just as good as the opportunities in downtown, but with the benefit of being linked to the middle and upper class that resides in these areas.[6]

Many communities are embracing this growth and are attempting to control it by creating policies and goals to control the years to come. Flowery Branch holds open meeting for residents to get their input and ideas on how to effectively handle and plan for the continued growth of their community. On both the city and state level, the input and help of residents is highly encouraged. The city planner for Flowery Branch is currently James Riker and he is trying to set guidelines to cover growth and revitalization plans for the city through the year 2025.[7]

Growth management is the basis of many political campaigns on the local level. This is especially noticeable in my town of Flowery Branch. For the past month, feuds and promises have risen among the candidates for the city council positions. Sadly, it is these positions that will navigate the growth in the areas for the next term. Everything from residential and commercial developments to implementation of sidewalks funnels through these town committees and politicians. I have seen an increased interest in these ideas and candidates amongst the residents of Flowery Branch as they are beginning to see that politics on a local level is more pertinent to them than those on a state or national level when it comes to the development of their surrounding community. The help and input of the residents helps maintain the choices that the political officials decide on a daily basis.[8]

The growth and development of Flowery Branch over the past ten years has been easily noticeable. From residential and commercial growth to the demand for expansion through the school systems, Flowery Branch has been non-stop development for the past decade with no signs of stopping. The newly constructed Flowery Branch High School and C.W. Davis Middle School were constructed in 2001 and sit across the street from the Falcons Training Complex. Both institutions are among the top three in the county in their grade levels in enrollment. Many new elementary schools have opened throughout the county. The continued growth in education enrollment shows that the majority of the newcomers to Flowery Branch are families with commuting parents. These numbers are anticipated to continually increase over the next decade and it is not long before another new school will be opened for each grade level.

Within city limits, several shopping strips have opened in the past two years. The additional development in surrounding towns has helped the real estate market prosper immensely. Lisa Fuqua, a real estate agent for ReMax and local resident, told me that she has, “Made a healthy annual salary for the past three years with out having to leave her backyard.” The residential developments created over the past five years have appealed to a variety of people at a variety of income levels. I reside in one of four town home communities developed recently in Flowery Branch ranging from $125,000 to $175,000. Many of the neighborhoods with houses ranging from $140,000 to $300,000 were developed in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. The newly developed Sterling on the Lake subdivision contains homes ranging from $400,000 to 1.5 million dollars each, appealing to the higher income families. These new subdivisions are projected to bring at least 7,000 new residents into the community within the next five years, more the quadrupling the current population.[9]

All of these factors join together to create this constantly growing community. Though Lake Lanier makes Flowery Branch unique in its attributes, the steady increase in population and commerce is due to commuters rushing outside metropolitan Atlanta looking for a more relaxing environment to live. The growth of the local economy through factory positions as well as small business opportunities helps maintain the middle to upper class clientele and preserve consistency within the community. The job opportunity within the area has created a chance to join the middle class for almost anyone. Many of the positions available in various retail locations or small businesses require little education or experience.

Though many tenured residents believe it is a tragedy that the social class that founded this community can no longer afford to live here, I believe that is the wrong way of looking at the situation. The growth in Flowery Branch has been consistent amongst various levels of income and social class. For every $200,000 home that was constructed, two town homes or cluster homes have been erected as well. Though space may be the differentiating factor between these properties, property acreage is the expensive commodity of any community. Nonetheless, growth has meant opportunity for Flowery Branch residents. The job opportunities and retail convenience that the local economy has created has helped both Flowery Branch and its residents prosper. This growth has helped increase schooling budgets, which provide more teachers and small classrooms to enhance the evolution of education. The increase in population has been an advancement on the civilization and will continue to benefit us all.

In conclusion, I believe that the gentrification of Flowery Branch has occurred because of many different factors, but the outcome is far from analyzing. For the time being, real estate is at various levels suitable to maintain a diverse mixture of social classes, though this may not be the case in years to come. I believe that we are only in the beginning stages of Flowery Branch’s development. Though the growth I have described has occurred over the past fifty years, the majority of the changes will occur over the next twenty. Not only will new buildings and subdivisions continue to develop, stop signs will continue to become stoplights and dirt roads will continue to turn into highways. I see this growth as beneficial and inevitable and the research shows just that. I look forward to the advancement of my community and am willing to trade the inconvenience of construction and development for the return on my home and property investment and the convenience of having all of life’s necessities and luxurious amenities surrounding my doorstep. The changes and evolution of Flowery Branch are just like many other communities located outside metropolitan cities and like Flowery Branch, those towns will be saying goodbye to their old fashioned way of life. Every community that becomes an exurb will display similar growth patterns and can benefit and prosper from them with the right goals, plans and attitude.

End Notes