The 15 Big Ideas

1. Downtown Hotel/Conference Center

A state of the art hotel/conference center is located in downtown Gainesville and has been the catalyst for redevelopment in the downtown/midtown area.
 

2. Culture of Wellness

Gainesville-Hall County is a model for providing high-quality, affordable healthcare to its residents. We strive to create a culture of wellness among our residents and our community.
 

3. Life-Long Learning

All students in Gainesville, Hall County or private area High Schools have taken some classes from a post-secondary institution (Gainesville State College, Lanier Technical College, Brenau University, and North Georgia College) before they graduate. For some, it means graduation involves receiving three pieces of paper; a diploma, a training certificate from a post-secondary institution and a job offer from an employer.
 

4. Post Office Re-located

The Post Office has been relocated to Midtown Gainesville and the historic Green Street area has become a greater community asset.
 

5. Green Space Initiative

Gainesville-Hall County has the greatest amount of protected green space (parks, recreation areas and privately owned open land) of any urban county in Georgia. Elachee Nature Science Center in Chicopee Woods, Smithgall Woodland Garden and Don Carter State Park are key anchors of the green space effort. A highlight of the green space initiative is a network of pathways connecting North Hall, Gainesville & South Hall.
 

6. Healthcare Center

Gainesville-Hall County is a center for healthcare education, employment, life-sciences companies (including veterinary medicine) and medical-device manufacturers. These industries work closely together on training & research and fully utilize the Center of Innovation and Manufacturing Excellence at the Featherbone Communiversity.
 

7. “Harbor Town” Mixed Use Community

There is a major mixed-use community on Lake Lanier, with restaurants, an amphitheater and commercial, retail and residential space. The community is a tourist attraction and considered a model for the creative blending of residential and commercial development.
 

There is a state-of-the-art regional visitors’ center near Interstate 985 that makes Gainesville-Hall County the necessary first stop for tourists looking to explore Lake Lanier and the North Georgia mountains.
 

9. Leadership

Gainesville-Hall County has a “Senior Leadership” program that is considered to be a national model. The community is utilizing the experience and expertise of the growing “55” and older population.
 

10. Theater Festival

Gainesville-Hall County hosts the Southeastern Community Theater Festival, which brings in groups from schools, colleges and local theaters from around the region every year to compete and learn from one another.
 

11. High Speed Rail

There is a high-speed rail service linking Gainesville with Athens and the University of Georgia, Atlanta and Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Emory University and Georgia Tech. Each of these destinations is only a 30-minute trip from Gainesville.
 

12. Gainesville Bypass

There are highway bypasses around Gainesville, and traffic on downtown’s Green Street has lessened considerably.
 

13. Community of Towns

Future development preserves the traditional scale of Gainesville-Hall County buildings, streets and public spaces and encourages connectedness among residents, workers & visitors.
 

14. Art Districts

There are unique art districts across Gainesville-Hall County, including ones centered on downtown Gainesville (theater, public art, visual arts, etc.) Lake Lanier (music, amphitheater), Chicopee Woods (outdoor art, amphitheater) and Gillsville/Lula (cultural arts, folk art, pottery)
 

15. OneHall – Model for Diversity

The Intercultural Arts Conference Center is a meeting place for groups looking to bring together Gainesville-Hall County’s diverse population to work on community issues and a center for ethnic culture and arts. OneHall, located at the Center, is an organization that connects across racial, ethnic and other barriers and provides opportunities for leadership development, networking, employment and programs about inclusion. OneHall is a national model for integrating residents of all cultures into the life of the community through a multitude of educational, informational, citizenship and English-language programs. School groups from across the region tour this facility to learn how ethnic groups can work together and learn from one another.