Decatur unveils $8.5M plan to revamp downtown square
The Brief
Decatur is investing $8.5 million to revamp its downtown square, adding a new performing arts stage, expanded green space, and a children's playground.
The project is part of the city's Decatur 2.0 plan and is funded through SPLOST 2, meaning no additional property taxes for residents.
City leaders say the upgrades reflect community input and aim to boost local businesses by attracting more visitors to downtown events and festivals.
DECATUR, Ga. - Big changes are coming to downtown Decatur as the city embarks on an $8.5 million revitalization project aimed at transforming the popular square into a more dynamic and family-friendly gathering space.
What we know
The redevelopment will include a new performing arts stage, expanded green space, and a playground for children. City leaders say the updates are part of the Decatur 2.0 redevelopment plan and are in direct response to feedback from residents.
The square, already a popular destination for outdoor concerts, festivals, and July Fourth celebrations, will see its footprint expanded. The current bandstand will be replaced with a larger, modern performance stage to better accommodate community events.
What they're saying
"These new features are in response to the community's vision," said Angela Threadgill, Assistant Manager for Community and Economic Development. "We have a growing population, a younger population, and we heard their voices that they would like something to do when they come downtown."
Local residents are welcoming the news. "I actually like that," said Decatur resident Semrai Zere. "It adds more to the community. It gives people more of a space to come out and enjoy this beautiful area."
City officials expect the upgrades to generate even more foot traffic downtown, benefiting local businesses.
"That brings a lot of our residents and visitors to downtown Decatur. We have a number of businesses that thrive on these festivals," Threadgill added.
Andrea Worthy, Economic Development Director for the City of Smyrna, emphasized the long-term economic impact of such investments. "Reinvesting in your downtown is one of the most important things you can do," Worthy said. "That is your cultural brand—that is how people view you."
The project is being funded through SPLOST 2, a special-purpose local option sales tax, and will not affect local property taxes.
What's next
The city hopes to complete the downtown square renovations by spring of next year.
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Details 35% off sitewide with code JULY4 See at Bear Close Best July Fourth sitewide mattress deals Plank Do you want a super firm bed that's like sleeping on the world's most comfortable floor? Then you want the Plank mattress. The Plank Firm is a flippable mattress that I recommend for back sleepers. For the holiday, you can get it for only $999 right now. The Plank Firm Luxe is down to $1,299. All you have to do is use the code JULY25. Details 25% off sitewide with code JULY25 See at Plank Close Titan Titan is running a 25% off sitewide sale when you use the code JULY25. That means one of our favorite mattresses for heavy people, the Titan Plus, is on sale for only $937. It's one of the most durable and supportive beds out there, so this is a great chance to upgrade your bed. Details 25% off sitewide with code JULY25 See at Titan Close Nolah Nolah's early July Fourth mattress sale is 30% off. That drops the price of the Nolah Evolution hybrid mattress to only $1,489. 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All you have to do is use the code JULY25. This July Fourth mattress deal will bring the price of the Birch Natural mattress to only $1,399 for a queen. Details 25% off sitewide + 2 free Eco-Rest pillows with code JULY25 See at Birch Close Purple For July Fourth, Purple is offering up to $800 off mattresses and bases. The amount you save depends on the mattress and base. The Purple Restore hybrid is $300 off, while the Purple mattress is $500 off, bringing the price down to $999 for a queen. It's the same story for the bases. Note that you don't have to buy a base to get the discount on the mattress, but you do have to get a mattress to get the discount on the base. Details Up to $800 off a mattress + base See at Purple Close Layla Layla is running its typical sale: $150 off the memory foam Layla bed and $200 off the Layla Hybrid. Plus, you'll get two free pillows with every mattress purchase. The Layla hybrid mattress is our top pick for side sleepers of any body type. 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Details Up to $600 off See at Saatva Close Casper Right now, I'm seeing an up to 30% off everything sale for Casper. Beds like the Casper Dream are $1,325, and the Dream Max is now $2,235. This sale includes bundles and bedding. Details Up to 35% off everything See at Casper Close Zinus Zinus is running an up to 60% off mattress sale right now, one of the most generous sales I've seen. The percentage off will depend on which bed you choose. The Original Green Tea memory foam bed is 16% off, down to $499 for a queen, while the Cooling Green Tea memory foam bed is 41% off, down to $529 for a queen. Details Up to 60% off mattresses See at Zinus Close Avocado For those looking for the ultimate organic bed, look no further than the Avocado Green mattress. It has the best construction and organic certifications I've seen. For July Fourth, you can get up to $300 off, dropping a queen down to $1,899. Organic mattresses are expensive, so seeing any off the top is nice. Details Save up to $300 on mattresses See at Avocado Close Tempur-Pedic Love the dense, almost syrupy feel of Tempur-Pedic's memory foam? The good news is that on July Fourth, you can get Tempur-Breeze mattresses for $500 off. These mattresses are expensive, so it's nice to see a decent chunk off them. The ProBreeze is now $4,099. Unique to Tempur-Pedic, you can get $300 in free accessories when you use the code 300FREE. You can also get 20% off Tempur-Adapt toppers. Details Save $500 on Tempur-Breeze mattresses + $300 in free accessories See at Tempur-Pedic Close Mattress Firm Mattress Firm is running a July Fourth sale that marks down beds across brands like Sealy, Serta, Sleepy's and Beautyrest by up to 60%. The Serta Perfect Sleeper Sleep Excellence bed is only $799 instead of $1,299. That's 38% off. You can also save $500 on the Tempur-Breeze mattress. Qualifying mattress purchases can also earn you a free base. Details Up to 60% off select mattresses See at Mattress Firm Close Sleep Number Sleep Number smart beds are 20% off, including the p5 smart bed, i8 smart bed and Climate360 bed. The c4 smart bed is only $1,499; that's $400 off. The sales don't stop there. You can snag some of my favorite bedding, the True Temp blankets, sheets and pillows, for 25% off. All sheet sets are buy one, get one 50% off, and bedroom furniture is up to 40% off. Details 20% off smart beds See at Sleep Number Close Amerisleep Amerisleep is offering $600 off mattresses when you use the code JULY600. $600 off is on the more generous side of the sales I've seen, so if you're interested in Amerisleep, now is a good time. The AS3, Amerisleep's most popular mattress, is only $1,149 for a queen. Details Save $600 on mattresses with code JULY600 See at Amerisleep Close Leesa Leesa's July Fourth sale will save you 25% on mattresses, including the Leesa Original for only $999. The Leesa Sapira Chill, which I recommend to hot sleepers who want a comfy pillow-top, is now $1,698. You can also get 25% off bases, 25% off bedding and up to 30% off the Sapira adjustable bed bundle. No code is required; the discounts are automatically applied at checkout. Details 25% off select mattresses See at Leesa Close Is July Fourth a good time to buy a mattress? Right now is as good a time as ever to buy your next bed. I've been doing this long enough to know the standard sales from each brand, and I can tell you that these sales match those offered on President's Day and Memorial Day. That also means that if you can't afford a mattress right now, you can just catch the next holiday. Most brands run sales within a set range for every season. For example, Saatva's best sale is generally $600 off mattresses, while Nectar often runs up to 50% off sales for its beds. Should you shop these July Fourth mattress deals or wait for Amazon Prime Day? Amazon Prime Day starts on July 8, and we expect plenty of mattress deals across Amazon. There's a good chance that many online bed brands will extend their July 4th sales to compete with Amazon's holiday. If you're looking for beds specially sold on Amazon, like Rolanstar, Siena or the Ashley Home Signature, then waiting for Prime Day is a good idea. However, if you want a bed from a brand like Saatva, Casper or Purple, I wouldn't wait because I doubt sales will be significantly better than right now. Most brands have a set sale range they offer across holidays.
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