Path & Post hosted a Team Q&A with Bill Grant, the Mayor of the City of Canton, to answer questions about the city’s growth and what current residents and prospective buyers can expect in the coming years.
“Georgia is the 13th fastest-growing state, and Cherokee County is the 65-fastest growing county. In Canton, …our philosophy is to curate the best solutions inside the city limits, whatever is coming our way.” – Mayor Bill Grant
Read on to learn more about expansion and growth in Canton and how the city plans to continue growing in the future. (Click here to see the City of Canton Roadmap.)
Q: Can you share more details about what’s happening with the historic Jones Building?
A: The building was sold in 2022 to Penn Hodge Properties, the same developers behind The Mill on Etowah. They’re actively redeveloping the interior, and the building will be a mixed-use project. The Thrive Co-Working space has been hugely successful at The Mill, with a waiting list of 100+ people, and some of that space will continue into the Jones building. Additional functions of the building will include:
- Two to three restaurants
- Meeting space
- Corporate space
More information about the development of the historic Jones Building is available here.
Q: What’s happening across the Etowah River? What can residents expect in terms of changes to the trails?
Currently, across the huge bank is a stabilization project that will affect Heritage Park and Boling Park. The second part of the project will include an extension of the trail from these two parks and should be completed by the end of spring or early summer. The trail, by that time, will allow residents and visitors to walk from the city limits all the way to Etowah Park.
Other projects include bringing the trail up from the river and across the bridge, bringing people over to the mill and up into the downtown Canton area on West Main Street. The pedestrian corridor will include widened sidewalks, streetscapes, and a beautiful connection bridge connecting the river throughout downtown.
The city of Canton also recently received a grant from the Georgia Appalachian Commission for a new pedestrian bridge a little further down the river that will bring people from that side of the area over to The Mill. The funds have been received, and we are conducting environmental and feasibility studies.
We’re also completing major improvements to Harmon Park, including installing a mini-pitch soccer field (donated by Atlanta United), new basketball courts and pavilion, and new parking. These updates will completely renovate the park, and the project will also add a trail that connects to the Mill side of the Etowah.
Q: Can you speak to Canton’s current rental/ownership ratio, how it affects the community and possible insight into new housing opportunities available in the city?
We see the need for both. Since 2020, our rental properties have started to decrease, and single-family homes have started to increase. We’re doing many things in the city and offering programs to encourage first-time ownership, like grants for down payments to encourage first-time ownership.
In the past, Canton has had few opportunities for blue-collar workers or people, and we’re trying to look at new data and create new solutions at every income level. Our preference is for people to be able to attain a home here. Regarding the Roadmap we have for the city, new developers are expected to advance the eight tenets of the Roadmap, which gives us a platform for reaching a compromise.
At the start of 2023, multi-family housing is starting to increase, and our target ratio is 60/40 and starting to move that way. We’re looking at other cities, communities, and thriving areas and taking guidance on how they improve housing solutions in Canton.
We appreciate Mayor Grant’s time in sharing some of the upcoming initiatives of the city of Canton. Having greater knowledge of our north Georgia communities allows us to enhance our clients’ buying & selling experiences and act as an even better strategic guide. Visit the city of Canton’s website to explore more news and information.
