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Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson $1.00 copy
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Vol. 15 No. 21 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 12 pages
Hoschton
Hoschton discusses
major developments
By Hannah Barron
hannah@mainstreetnews.com
The Hoschton City Council recently received an update
on a number of major developments.
At the April 28 town hall meeting, the council discussed
developments including water towers, the wastewater
treatment plant, the well and the new city hall.
The north water tower's construction is completed and
is expected to go online in about 60 days. There is another
water tower to be constructed on the south end of the city
next year. The second phase of the wastewater treatment
plant will increase the sewer capacity and construction is
expected to start soon.
There are two drill sites being explored for a well, so
Hoschton can tap into its own system and no longer be
dependent on other cities for water.
The new city hall should break ground this summer, with
the council moving into the space by the end of the year.
According to mayor Lauren O’Leary, the new facility will
have city offices, another meeting space and a restaurant.
"There are a lot of great things going on in Hoschton
right now and we could not do it without our city staff, so
thank you guys for that,” O’Leary said about the develop
ments.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business April 28, the city council:
• discussed the traffic concerns on Hwy. 53 and
See Hoschton, page 6A
Jackson BOC
Skelton Rd.
intersection upgrade
could begin soon
By Mike Buffington
mike@mainstreetnews. com
Work on an upgraded intersection at Skelton Rd.
and Hwy. 124 could soon begin pending action by
the Jackson County Board of Commissioners.
The BOC is poised to award a $3.6 million con
tract to G.R’s Enterprises for construction of a new
intersection with the board meets on May 16. The
move is designed to help with traffic going to Jack-
son County High School and a new middle school
being built on the Skelton Rd. school campus.
Seven bids were received for the project with
G.R’s the lowest bid. The Georgia DOT is provid
ing $450,000 toward the project with the county
responsible for the rest.
NEW COUNTY PARK
The BOC is also considering a proposal to pur
chase 116 acres in South Jackson at the intersection
of New Kings Bridge Rd. and Hwy. 129 South for a
new county park and recreation site.
The purchase price is $1.7 million, funds that
would come from reserve funds if the BOC moves
forward with the purchase.
The need for additional recreation facilities in the
South Jackson area has been discussed in the past
by the board.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business discussed at the BOC’s May 1
meeting were:
See BOC, page 6A
MAILING LABEL
NGMC Braselton
Work begins on ambulatory surgery center
Image courtesy of Northeast Georgia Medical Center-Braselton
Work has started on a three-story, 90,000 square foot ambulatory surgery cen
ter at Northeast Georgia Medical Center-Braselton. Hospital officials antici
pate the facility to be complete by spring of 2023.
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
With dirt already being
moved, a surgery center
devoted to outpatient proce
dures at Northeast Georgia
Medical Center-Braselton
should be ready by next
year.
Hospital leaders are
targeting a May or June
2023 completion for the
three-story, 90,000 square
foot “Medical Plaza 2,”
which will be located on
a five-acre section of the
Hwy. 347 Braselton cam
pus. The project budget is
$52 million, though the final
price tag might be “a little
north of that.” according to
hospital president Anthony
Williamson.
Williamson pointed to a
“huge need” for the surgery
center in the Braselton area.
“We’re fortunate to be in
a market that is growing and
(there’s) a large need for us
to develop this outpatient
surgical platform for the
patients that we care for ...
,” he said. “A lot of our pa
tients need access to a con
venient outpatient level of
care. So. the timing is really
right for us to move forward
with the project.”
Williamson said North
east Georgia Health System
filed a certificate of need for
the addition back in 2018
and received approval in
2019.
“It’s been something that
we’ve been working on for
a number of years,” he said.
The new facility, de
signed by CDH Partners
out of Atlanta, will house
See NGMC ,page 6A
JCHS celebrates 2022 prom
Photo by Wesleigh Sagon
Angelo Jimenez dived into the crowd after receiving his crown and prom king sash at Jackson County
High School’s prom on Saturday, April 30. The prom court includes: Gracie Herrin, Whitney Hulsey,
Miracle Laniado (prom queen), Ella McGrath, Megan Wester, Angelo Jimenez (prom king), Tyler Craven,
Cooper Hoffmar, Andrew Plascencia and Riley Baugh. See more on page 8.
Braselton
Restored Braselton cotton gin earns preservation award
Submitted photo
Developers of Braselton’s old cotton gin, now the
location of Braselton Brewing Company, recently
earned the Michael L. Starr Award which recogniz
es historic rehabilitation efforts.
The Georgia Trust for His
toric Preservation recent
ly presented a prestigious
award to the developers of
the Braselton Cotton Gin in
downtown Braselton.
The award was presented
during the Georgia Trust's
45th annual Preservation
Awards ceremony on April 23
in Augusta.
The Atlanta Development
Company, Architectural Col
laborative and contractor
David Shepard received the
Michael L. Starr Award, pre
sented to a project that best
exemplifies the highest stan
dards of historic rehabilitation
and has a significant impact
on the downtown of the city in
which it is located.
The Michael L. Starr Award
was created in 2020 in memo
ry of Mike Starr, former Board
Chair of the Georgia Trust and
the Georgia Cities Founda
tion. This award honors the
rehabilitation of a downtown
historic building which best
exemplifies the highest stan
dards of historic rehabilitation
and has a significant impact
on the downtown of the city in
which it is located.
“This rehabilitation project
is near and dear to our hearts
in Braselton. It revived a place
that was once an important
agricultural building in North
east Georgia,” Town Manager
Jennifer Scott said. “As the
Braselton Brewing Company,
it is once again a focal point of
downtown.”
The cotton gin was con
structed by the Braselton
family around 1900 and, ac
cording to a Historic Ameri
can Building Survey, is a sig
nificant example of early 20th
century cotton gin structures:
two stories with a side-gable
metal roof, metal exterior sid
ing, covered wagon entry and
wrap-around porch.
Braselton has long been
recognized for its commit
ment to historic preservation.
The Braselton Town Hall ren
ovation project received the
Award for Excellence in Re-
See Preservation, page 6A
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