City leaders hosted a birthday party in honor of Sugar Hill’s 82nd birthday on Wednesday, March 24, at Cornerstone Park at the Broadstone development.
Seeing how far Sugar Hill has come from being a city that many considered an afterthought of Buford to the thriving city it is today is worthy of a celebration. So city leaders decided to host an informal birthday party to celebrate the Sweet City turning 82.
Mayor Steve Edwards, council members Brandon Hembree, Taylor Anderson and Nic Greene, as well as City Manager Paul Radford greeted residents old and young. Residents who stopped by were treated to cupcakes and cookies.
Young children with faces covered in icing were happily chasing each other around while their parents were able to get a bit of much needed adult interaction. Friends caught up on each other’s lives. Residents were able to get to know their city leaders and vice versa.
The city of Sugar Hill was officially incorporated on March 24, 1939, with a population of 599 residents. The city founders would not recognize current-day Sugar Hill with its numerous neighborhoods, apartments, businesses and especially its thriving downtown district. Sugar Hill has increased its population by an estimated 24,400 residents since its formation.
West Broad Street was once a sleepy little street, but today, it is a busy thoroughfare lined with businesses, apartments, city hall, the Bowl, the Eagle Theatre and the E Center. Everywhere one goes there are people actively enjoying all it has to offer. Diners can be seen seated on a patio enjoying a delicious meal at one of the restaurants located within the E Center. One can even see and participate in cornhole courtesy of Indio Brewing’s cornhole league. Residents can be seen all around the downtown district getting their exercise in by walking around the downtown area and the E Center. At the Broadstone apartments, residents are busy coming and going or sitting on their patios taking in the view of the city alive at night.
Signs in windows of the E Center and Broadstone development prove that businesses are continuing to invest their futures in Sugar Hill. Two new restaurants are set to join Sugar Hill Bakery, Central City Tavern, Rushing Trading Company, Indio Brewing, Knuckies Hoagies and Sugar Hill Distillery & Tavern in the downtown district. The E Center is gaining an ice cream shop called Scoops, while the Broadstone development will be adding a taqueria and margarita bar called Cantina Loca.
Broad Street can be difficult to navigate during certain times of the day, but city officials are working on ways to help address the traffic. Improvements to the current roundabout at Whitehead Road are being discussed with talks of making it a double-lane roundabout, as well as cutting down the height of the island in the center to improve visibility. Improvements to the intersections of Temple Drive and Hillcrest Drive, along with plans to expand Level Creek Road all the way to connect with Ga. Highway 20, will also help with traffic issues.
If you have not visited the bustling downtown area of Sugar Hill in a while, go check it out. It is worth the excursion.
