April 07 - 21, 2025
What's Happening Here? Goings-On In Gainesville/Hall County
John S. Burd Performing Arts Center • 429 Academy St. Gainesville, GA 30501 Organized by Brenau University
Registration closed.
About this event
Three IN-PERSON Sessions April 7, 14, 21 This course highlights three important development projects. We will learn about the development and future of our inland port, current and future plans for downtown Gainesville, and the growing parks and trails in our region. The first class session focuses on Georgia Ports Authority’s newest inland port, The Blue Ridge Connector, which is currently being constructed in Hall County. We will discuss the benefits of inland ports, drivers of cargo growth, and how GPA is investing in Georgia and supporting economic development hundreds of miles from the coast. The second class session focuses on downtown Gainesville happenings, present and future. A collective look at the historical as well as current resources, plans, and progress – including the recent Georgia Exceptional Main Street (GEMS) designation – will serve to illustrate the vibrancy of our city. The final class session, All Things Parks and Trails, will describe updates, future plans, and a timeline, for projects such as the Highlands to Islands Trail, the Midland Greenway, and Gainesville Parks and Recreation Foundation’s Park2Park initiative. This course features three guest speakers. Taylor Worley works in Market Research & Economic Development for Georgia Ports Authority (GPA). In 2023, Taylor relocated from Savannah to north Georgia to support development of the logistics ecosystem around GPA’s inland terminals – the Blue Ridge Connector and the Appalachian Regional Port. Angela Sheppard is Assistant City Manager for the City of Gainesville. Kate Mattison, CPRP, is Director of Gainesville Parks and Recreation.
Location
Sessions
Media
1 Photos and Videos