Norcross, March 6, 2026 — The Urban Redevelopment Agency of Gwinnett County, in partnership with global real estate firm CBRE, has issued a formal Request for Proposals for the redevelopment of the Gateway Gwinnett site — a 106-acre property along Jimmy Carter Boulevard near Interstate 85 that sits squarely in one of metro Atlanta's most diverse and densely Asian American communities.
The announcement, made Friday, came on the same day Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson delivered her 2026 State of the County Address to more than 1,100 business and community leaders gathered at Innovation Square in Lawrenceville — signaling the Gateway Gwinnett project as one of the county's signature economic priorities for the year ahead.
“Gwinnett County has a history of proactively investing in sites with significant redevelopment potential and seeking partners to transform these underutilized spaces into vibrant places that foster economic growth and enhance quality of life,” Hendrickson said. “The Gateway Gwinnett site offers a tremendous opportunity for high-quality redevelopment that will contribute to the revitalization of the area.”
A Site With Deep Roots — and a New Vision
The property was acquired from Lightera, formerly OFS, a fiber optic cable manufacturer that will continue operating its facility on land adjacent to the redevelopment site. The county has spent years assembling the parcels, establishing a special Gateway 85 Overlay Zoning District, and adopting the Gwinnett Gateway Urban Redevelopment Plan to clear the path for a transformative project.
The redevelopment vision is intentionally flexible. The county is inviting proposals that may include one or a combination of multifamily housing, office, retail, industrial, or flex industrial uses. For housing, the county has expressed a preference for high-rise style buildings that promote higher density and mixed-income opportunities — a priority that Hendrickson has championed consistently in her addresses to Gwinnett residents.
The site also lies within a federally designated Opportunity Zone and a state Tax Allocation District, making it eligible for substantial tax incentives designed to attract large-scale investment.
Why This Matters for Gwinnett's Asian American Community
Jimmy Carter Boulevard is the commercial and cultural spine of Gwinnett's most concentrated Asian American corridor. The stretch from Norcross to Duluth is home to hundreds of Asian-owned businesses — from Korean grocery stores and Vietnamese restaurants to Indian professional service firms and Chinese-language schools — and is anchored by some of the most diverse ZIP codes in the entire Southeast.
Any major redevelopment at the Gateway 85 site will reshape the landscape of that corridor for decades to come. The RFP's emphasis on mixed-income housing, pedestrian-oriented development, and placemaking carries direct implications for long-standing residents and business owners in communities where affordability and access are pressing concerns.
Hendrickson, speaking at her 2026 State of the County Address, framed the development within a broader vision of equitable growth. She noted that for more than three decades, Gwinnett County, the Gwinnett Chamber, and the Council for Quality Growth have worked in concert to uphold high standards for workforce growth, access to opportunity, and economic vitality. “As we build on our deep roots and continued growth, we remain focused on shaping a future that is innovative, competitive, and globally connected,” she said.
In previous addresses, Hendrickson has pointed to the county's commitment to affordable housing — including a historic $21 million approved by the Board of Commissioners for housing affordability programs — and noted that Gwinnett is projected to add 250,000 new residents over the next 25 years. The Gateway 85 site, with its size and location, is seen as a key vehicle for absorbing that growth responsibly.
Transit, Connectivity, and Placemaking
The county has committed to infrastructure improvements tied to the site, including transit enhancements and road upgrades along the Jimmy Carter Boulevard corridor. Gwinnett's microtransit network has already expanded to serve the Norcross area and the broader Gateway 85 community improvement district.
“There's much more we can do that makes our one community one ride away from being more accessible,” Hendrickson said, framing transit expansion as both a quality-of-life issue and an economic development tool.
The RFP explicitly calls for enhanced mobility options, pedestrian-oriented development, and placemaking — priorities that speak directly to communities that rely on walkable, transit-connected environments. For the many Asian American small business owners and residents along the corridor, improved connectivity to downtown Lawrenceville, Doraville, and points along MARTA's Gold Line could prove transformational.
How to Get Involved
Interested developers may submit proposals for the full 106-acre site or for individual parcels, including reuse of any existing buildings currently on the property. All proposals must include a conceptual master plan, a financial proposal, and a detailed development approach.
An optional pre-proposal conference will be held at Innovation Square in Lawrenceville, with specific details provided in the full RFP document. Proposals are due by 2 p.m. on May 15, 2026.
Community members, business owners, and residents along the Jimmy Carter Boulevard corridor are encouraged to follow the project closely and engage with their respective community improvement districts and local elected officials as proposals come in.
