Details of Flowery Branch celebrating just-finished downtown improvements
May 29—From Farmers Market Alley to the flower blossom image embedded on Main Street, downtown Flowery Branch has a much different look these days.
But rather than just let visitors and residents savor the new look, the South Hall city wants to celebrate the long-awaited makeover that was finished this spring.
"Come see our beautiful new streetscape, stroll down our alley to the farmers market pavilion, where you can shop with our local farmers," says the invitation from Renee Carden, the city's community relations director.
Downtown party
What: Flowery Branch celebration of completion of downtown public improvements
When: 3 p.m. June 22
Where: Downtown, including Main Street
A "grand opening" of the public improvements is set for 3 p.m. June 22, with the farmers market starting at 3:30 p.m. A ribbon-cutting is set for 4 p.m.
The event will feature music and a mural painting by Gainesville artist Fox Gradin.
Flowery Branch native Andrew Jannakos, an indie country singer who competed in 2019 on NBC's "The Voice," is set to perform at 4 p.m. on the back porch stage of the Historic Depot.
His debut single, "Gone Too Soon," struck gold late last year with the receipt of a RIAA Gold Award presented to artists whose singles reach 75 million streams.
The public improvements, conceived years ago, were especially humming earlier this year with workers spread out across downtown, tearing into and pouring new concrete and asphalt.
The city has added much-needed parking, especially with the city's popular festivals and farmer's market, and wider sidewalks to allow for outside dining. The move ended up creating a system of one-way streets, such as allowing motorists to only travel on Railroad Avenue from Lights Ferry Road to Main Street.
Also, in a unique touch, the city converted Church Street between Main and West Pine streets into a woonerf, or a "living street" that mixes both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
The woonerf, a common sight in the Netherlands, looks much different than Flowery Branch's other asphalt-only streets. It features interlocking pavers and Flowery Branch's blossom logo embedded in concrete among the brickwork. Strings of lights criss-cross the street above people and cars.
The "flower" designs will be in place at Church and Main and at Church and West Pine, Carden said.
Improvements also include an amphitheater, which is debuting a free outdoor live music series,
Music in the Branch, on June 4.
Mayor Ed Asbridge said he has been impressed with the work.
"It's going to be great," he said. "And we'll be doing some things that will support that in phase two."
A second phase is being planned, including a multi-use trail and new park off Church between Spring and West Chestnut streets.
