Norcross Economic Development Director David Versel stopped by the May 27 People Doing Community at 45 South Cafe to update residents on how the city is supporting businesses and new projects.
“We get involved in everything from recruiting businesses and helping real estate development projects to dealing with everybody’s favorite topic, downtown parking,” Versel said. “Successful businesses pay tax dollars, generate jobs, generate economic activity that then pays for all these great things that we have in our community.”
Versel said Norcross is a city of small businesses, with more than 90% with fewer than 20 employees. The city is about six square miles and has less than 20,000 people.
Expanding community outreach
Before Versel took the position last May, the city’s economic development department was unstaffed for more than six months. The department now has a second staff member, Norcross native Jennifer Valencia, who leads community outreach
“I sorta had the opportunity to come in and rebuild the whole program from the ground up because there wasn’t much happening,” he said.
Efforts last year included restarting major planning efforts, including a downtown parking study, Buford Highway update, and amendments to the comprehensive plan.
Versel said he’s changing the department’s focus from recruiting businesses to supporting existing ones and the at-large business community. Norcross is focusing on helping retain and expand existing businesses by engaging with leaders and commercial brokers.
“We have almost no vacancy in the city for industrial or retail space,” Versel said. “Any new industrial development in Norcross will have to be redevelopment of existing sites or buildings. We don’t have any retail space over 2,500 square feet available right now in the city.”
While some residents will point to empty storefronts along South Peachtree Street downtown, they aren’t considered vacant when under renovation or under a leasing contract.
This month, Gwinnett County agreed to renew the city’s City Center East tax allocation district (TAD) after it expired at the end of 2024. The TAD includes most of the historic downtown parcels between College and Lawrenceville streets and Buford Highway.
With more than $1 million in the TAD account, Versal said his department is working on an updated plan to spend the earmarked funds within the district. The Norcross Economic Development has a new website, where residents can follow along with its activities.
Direction of development in Norcross
The city has launched the legacy business program, which honors local companies celebrating milestones, like United Consulting’s 30th anniversary. The economic development department is also playing a large role in efforts to connect with the Hispanic business community.
Versel previewed some proposed changes for residents, including an increase to the city’s business occupational taxes and a map of some development projects around the city.
“We’ve identified that businesses in Norcross actually pay by far the lowest business occupation tax rate, not just in Gwinnett County, but all of metro Atlanta,” Versel said. “We have a distinctive advantage here even if we did raise taxes.”
One Norcross resident asked Versel several questions about the future Gwinnett Gateway, a 106-acre property just outside the city of Norcross within the Jimmy Carter Boulevard Community Improvement District.
While that development project is out of the city’s hands, Versel said he thinks other ones may get some momentum by the end of this year or early 2027.
“These are all projects that are in planning phases, where we don’t have active rezoning applications or development applications,” Versel said. “We don’t have anything concrete in place for any of them … It’s still tough to get projects off the ground in this environment with high interest rates, an uncertain economy, and [gun-shy real estate investors].”
