Who's on the Downtown Team?

What’s the right square footage for City Hall? How will the water and sewer lines get there? Which finance tools fit best in the market today? Working through the long list of such details is the Downtown Auburn GA team.

The team is here to make sure Downtown Auburn GA is

• attractive, welcoming, and designed in a way we can be proud of for years to come
• built at a scale appropriate for our place in the region - with a small town feel, yet buzz of activity
• well thought out, with an organized plan including proper infrastructure
• financed efficiently and conservatively, with a continuing eye to cost control
• sustainable - with the right blend of residential, commercial and recreation for a healthy economic and lifestyle mix

So who’s on our team?

In many ways, all Auburn residents and businesses are on the team, but that’s a post all its own, coming later . Another, more core group – some volunteers, some contracted – is focused specifically on Downtown.

As keepers of the vision, Auburn’s elected leaders and city staff lead the team. They make sure th e expertise and resources are in place , and they make the many decisions required to move the proj ect forward.

Auburn’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is a dedicated group of 7 resident volunteers who play a key role in holding and managing public properties. This is the group that manages the Whistlestop Shops, and the city’s Main Street program. They hold title to the 14 acres that will be the site of the new City Hall, and they will manage the buildi ngs on the north side of the RR tracks once city offices move across the street. The DDA is responsible for approving some of the contract work that is being done. They include longtime Auburn residents, businesses, historians and next generation leadershi p. Chair Katelyn Greenwood , Vice - Chair Howard Hawthorne, Secretary Bel Outwater , Tina Parks , Vikki Ruiz , and Ashley Kersh bring a wealth of knowledge, historic context, and multi - generational enthusiasm to Downtown projects.

Chitra Subbarayan is Auburn’s economic development team leader. She uses her huge network of business relationships to share the exciting story of what’s happening in Auburn. Her ability to connect businesses and academic projects with the right locations have ma de her a successful matchmaker throughout the region. Chitra is working on numerous potentials, whic h we will hear more about as they are ready to launch.

Dave Schmit is Auburn’s D own town development partner. Schmit + Associates is under contract with the DDA to lead the city through the pre - development, finance and construction phases of Downtown. He is responsible for managing a myriad of research, planning, architectural, engineering, communication, finance and construction professionals connected with the core of the Downtown project.

Dave is using what he calls a Community Pillars approach to make sure the end result is a balance of natural and built elements, economic viability and a great experience for people who live, work and visit. 

While there isn’t much to see above ground yet, the Downtown Auburn team is hard at work. Stay tuned for more details!