The Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District wants to find out what people who live, work and shop in the area really think about the community, so it is gathering feedback through an online survey this month. CID leaders know the mall itself doesn’t have a great reputation, but they will look to find out how much of that negative perception spreads to the surrounding area.
“The Gwinnett Place CID wants to ensure the plans and changes we make going forward reflect the needs of the community of people who live, work and play in Gwinnett Place,” Joe Allen, executive director of the Gwinnett Place CID, said in a news release. “More than 97,000 people live within three miles of Gwinnett Place, and 60,000 commuters work here, and their feedback is important as we work to establish it as a location where the workers and residents of Gwinnett Place stay to dine, shop and be entertained. We welcome feedback from the public.”
The survey asks background information, such as whether the respondent is a resident, employee or shopper in the area.. It also asks about shopping habits and modes of transportation used to get to the area.
Mostly, though, it asks about perceptions of the area. For example, it asks for three words to describe a perception of the area, what a person likes most and least about the area, and how that perception has changed over time.
Respondents also are asked whether they feel safe in the area, their opinion of the ethnic diversity in the area and about traffic in the CID.
Allen said the CID has no expectations of what the survey will find.
“We have not conducted a survey for several years, and we are truly hoping to understand current perceptions, shopping and dining habits – whether they are positive or negative,” Allen said in an email. “We’re hoping to get a true picture from those who work, live and visit Gwinnett Place so we can better understand ways to continuously improve the district.”
Allen didn’t say whether or not the survey is directed at Moonbeam Capital, owner of the mall, but he hopes it helps developers focus on what the area needs.
“This is part of a larger effort to understand what needs are and are not being met by what is available in the district,” he said. “As part of our comprehensive strategic plan we will use the survey results to further educate real estate developers on the area’s positive attributes to encourage opportunities for redevelopment.”
The CID plans to make survey results public a few weeks after the survey ends on July 31.
The survey is anonymous and may be found at a link on the CID web site at www.gwinnettplacecid.com. It should take about five minutes to complete.
