The proposed Etowah Village project is back on the table. A new rezoning application was submitted on August 8th - less than a month after the withdrawal of the previous application. A copy of the withdrawal request and the amended application can be viewed here (see pages 12-32).
So what's the plan for Etowah village?
While Etowah Village is often compared to Avalon in Alpharetta, Dawson Village Partner's President, Yong Pan, is known for his attempt to develop Asian Village Atlanta in Gwinnett County. A rezoning application submitted in 2006 reveals similarities to the proposed Etowah Village application submitted to Dawson County earlier this year. Both proposals included Chinese Gardens, a Chinese Cultural Center, museums and a Preforming Arts Center.
According to the new application submitted to Dawson County last month, the Chinese Garden and Cultural center have been removed. However, their commitment to leave the Chinese Cultural Center and Garden out of the plan remains unclear. The zoning narrative included with the new application names Yong Pan's company, Dawson Village Partners, as the applicant. In addition, the site plan now features a blank space where the Garden and Cultural Center were previously located. It simply says "Townhome Village", but doesn't show any townhomes as if they're leaving it open for something else.
The aerial architectural rendering submitted has some interesting elements such as a tower and what appears to be curved roofs much like the previous plans for Asian Village Atlanta. Despite the required submittal of 2 residential elevations and 2 commercial elevations in order to change zoning to Mixed Use Village, the applicant has not provided such drawings.
What was Asian Village Atlanta?
Asian Village Atlanta was a mixed use project described as a "Chinatown" and an "Asian Epcot". The project was partially funded by the Chinese government through a non-profit called East-West Cultural Exchange Foundation founded by Yong Pan. The same foundation also funded trips for 2 Gwinnett County Commissioners as well as a trip to China for a delegation including Georgia Representative Tom Rice (R-Norcross) and the corporate relations manager of the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce. The delegation's trip to China was an effort to "sell the idea to more government officials and investors". Yong Pan reinstated East-West Cultural Exchange Foundation last summer shortly after the registration of Dawson Village Partners LLC.
What happened to Asian Village Atlanta?
Just over a year after the rezoning application was submitted to Gwinnett County, the Board of Commissioners opted to postpone the vote indefinitely. According to this AJC article, the Commissioners were "skeptical" of the "vague" project.
More on Asian Village Atlanta:
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