Update on the Jodeco Mixed Use Project in Stockbridge
I have reported numerous times the Jodeco project was caught in the Eagles Landing battle to separate from Stockbridge. It will be moving forward now we know it will definitely be in the city of Stockbridge with the failed city of Eagles Landing referendum. To understand the delay of Jodeco you must first understand the history of the project. First for two years from 2014 to 2016 the original developers of Jodeco begged, bartered and pleaded with Henry County Government lead by our past Chairman Tommy Smith to move the project forward with nothing happening and little cooperation.
Why, in my opinion they did not want the transformative project that would bring Henry County into the 21st century changing the sleepy bedroom community forever attracting new business and commerce. The old guard in Henry County truly hoped they could run the project away. Frustrated the developer turned to Stockbridge for annexation to move the project forward. I participated in those talks in 2015 even before being elected to the Stockbridge City Council laying the groundwork to bring the project to Stockbridge via annexation to prevent the project from being killed altogether. I then spearheaded bringing the Jodeco project to Stockbridge after establishing a relationship with the developer without a cent changing hands. I simply wanted to save the project in Henry County annexing it into Stockbridge.
Successfully we annexed the property into Stockbridge in December of 2016. Then Henry County sued Stockbridge to tie up the development hoping the delay would kill the project and run off the tenants. They voted 6-0 to sue Stockbridge to prevent the project from moving forward. I beg and pleaded with citizens to get involved to stop this, few did. Round one in summer of 2017 Henry County won the case on a technicality but the judge said it could be fixed with a simple legal procedure. The developer then got Hardee's Jodeco Road to annex into the city of Stockbridge closing the short technical gap between the city limits of Stockbridge and the Jodeco property creating congruity meaning the parcels now legally touched the city of Stockbridge a mere 5,000 feet difference or so. This delay basically exhausted all of 2017 with the city annexing the Jodeco property into Stockbridge late in 2017 meeting the legal standard.
Next suddenly the City of Eagles Landing bill was change adding a provision to remove the Jodeco property from the City of Stockbridge should it pass...Wow. Henry County would get the Jodeco property back if Eagles Landing passed, the new city of Eagles Landing would not get it. Our source indicated allegedly the District Commissioner where Jodeco is located worked behind the scenes with Republican legislators to add the provision to return Jodeco to Henry County in the Eagles Landing Bill. It was very interesting not one of the Henry County Commissioners did anything to stop this and not one of them showed up to support Stockbridge at any of our press conferences or at the state capital to help. They all remain particularly quiet including the Democratic members of the Henry County Commissioners.
How did the Eagles Landing bill stall Jodeco? All developments require local funding and assistance so would you give millions of taxpayer dollars to a project not knowing if it would be in the city of Stockbridge if the proposed city of Eagles Landing would have passed? If Eagles Landing would have passed Jodeco would have been removed from Stockbridge altogether. We had numerous meetings on the proposed City of Eagles Landing battle, at least 50 or 60 where we explained Jodeco was at risk if Eagles Landing had passed. I posted on this page show up to meetings and vote to save Jodeco by defeating Eagles Landing. It is amazing the Jodeco project is still alive after all the obstacles, lawsuits, and even a legislative attempt to kill the project. Yet folks who did nothing to help us save the project come on this page throwing stones complaining the project is moving slow. How about showing up and getting involved in the fight for quality projects at city council,county commission meetings, and even the state legislature.
I fought very hard to save this project not for financial gain but for an improved quality of life for my community as well as lower property taxes with increased tax revenue from the new businesses at Jodeco. Three of my colleagues on the Stockbridge City Council chose to censure me for telling the public the City of Eagles Landing was an imminent threat while taking the advice of Republican lobbyist who said remain quiet the legislature and Governor would never approve this Eagles Landing bill. They said Eagles Landing would die but it passed easily. I was very suspicious of this advise and issued a clarion call to residents in December of 2017 and January 2018 going on tv interviews about Eagles Landing to get citizens involved. I then had a January 25th Eagles Landing town hall while the 3 colleagues who voted to censure me for telling the public of the imminent danger of Eagles Landing remained quiet until the day before the vote in the Georgia House of Representatives instead of fighting publicly in December of 2017 and January of 2018 while the bills made it through committees in the Ga House and Senate with the public in the dark this was happening. With the city starting to speak out one day before a vote in the legislature it passed easily building momentum and making it all the way to the ballot box. If we had been fighting publicly in December and January the City of Eagles Landing Bills would never have passed.
Social media will not do it you must show up to meetings to stay informed and help in the struggle when the old guard in Henry County try to kill new development like Jodeco. City of Eagles Landing was all about killing Jodeco removing it from Stockbridge. It is how the old guard in Henry County do things to keep growth from coming to Henry County! Show up and get involved in our community so projects like Jodeco can't be stalled keeping them out. Thank God a new development team is on the project and it will be moving forward now. Unfortunately many of the best tenant may or may not be available with the uncertainty and delays cause by the stalling tactics. The process to secure tenants is underway as of now, we press on! Jodeco is the victim of politics in Henry County