Team Auburn

From Bel Outwater,

Chairperson, Auburn Downtown Development Authority

Team Auburn!

Economic development attracts investment in a community and creates opportunity. In reality, it is a team sport! It takes community leadership - public and private, professionals in various disciplines to come together and reach for a healthy balance between local and national tenants. The local tenants bring the sense of community and charm, while the national tenants bring financial stability to the mix.

The strategy behind making Auburn a destination is to focus on its charm and sense of community. By maintaining its history and retaining properties that tell its story, we are drawing people who want to stay and build a stronger community.

Economic development is about attracting, retaining and growing businesses. It’s an important part of a city’s stability as it brings tax revenue that goes to vital services like schools, roads, police and fire. It adds jobs that provide for personal prosperity, along with local goods and services that improve our quality of life and property values.  

Economic development at the State level seeks to attract employers in specific industries. Gwinnett and Barrow Counties add a more localized approach to these efforts, often focusing on growing and retaining existing businesses and encouraging education/training opportunities with local partnerships.  

For Auburn, city-level economic development is even more localized and requires a community-wide team effort to get the right balance of activity. The vision for an active and stable downtown here is not about tall office buildings, but about small business, good food and walkability.

Chitra Subbarayan is leading Auburn’s economic development efforts, carefully vetting businesses that could be a great fit.  When touring prospects around Auburn, she is finding that people love our town and want to be a part of the community. It is viewed as a community that welcomes entrepreneurs, and a great place to do business.

As city operations move to the new Municipal Complex, efforts are underway to convert those historic storefronts to amenities needed for the community. The four corners of the intersections of Hwy 8, Mt. Moriah and Main Street, and the one at Hwy 8, 6th Street, 4thAvenue and County Line-Auburn Road are strategic to establishing a strong retail core for the community. This will also serve to make Auburn a destination for visitors from the region. Healthy economic activity is a win-win for both residents and the businesses. A stronger commercial digest offsets the tax burden on residents.  It also improves property values and ensures economic sustainability. Coordinating with city leadership, agencies and staff on these opportunities, Chitra works to promote the City of Auburn as a great place to live.

We are actively seeking small businesses in the food and beverage industry that might be a good addition for the downtown. As part of the business attraction team, if you or someone you know would like to

be part of Auburn’s exciting redevelopment, please contact Chitra at cs@cbd-re.com.