James March-April 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 42
MASON AILSTOCK CEO OF THE ROWEN FOUNDATION
becoming a destination for research and innovation in major
areas of agriculture, medicine and environmental sciences.
More than $100 million has already been spent on land assemblage and infrastructure development to get it started,
said Mason Ailstock, CEO of the Rowen Foundation which
is helping fund the project along with the county and state.
Rowen will include three sections: Rowen Village,
which will include mixed-use, multifamily residential, retail
and office and lab space; a convergence center, which will
be home to the foundation and its higher education part-
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ners and industry; and medium- and low-density sites for
larger corporate headquarters and research and development facilities, Ailstock said.
“It’s a statewide initiative because we are recruiting companies that will build out research facilities and
partner with the county and state,” he emphasizes. “[It will
produce] hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs, and they’ll
be partnering with our state’s university and technical
college systems to create the workforce of the future. It’s a
30-plus-year development timeline.”
Ailstock added that Gwinnett was chosen for Rowen
because it “has visionary leadership that is not afraid of
big ideas.” Consider that, when complete, Rowen could
total more than 22 million square feet and is projected
to bring nearly 100,000 jobs to Georgia— contributing $8
billion to $10 billion annually into the state’s economy.
Future Projects
Another star for Gwinnett is the Westin Atlanta Gwinnett hotel, the county’s first headquarters hotel. Having
such a hotel means Gwinnett can host major meetings
and events, Anders said. She added that the Gas South
District’s recent $200 million renovation project means the
county can host bigger events than before.
“Those have been gigantic factors for us,” while also
noting the men’s soccer World Cup tournament coming to
Atlanta in 2026 will bring large events to Gwinnett.
Masino is looking forward to Gwinnett Place Mall,
which closed in 2020 but being redeveloped into a Global
Villages concept. And Anders added that through the Gwinnett Film Commission, the county remains a top county for
TV show and movie production, with “Creed III,” “Ozark,”
“Will Trent,” “Tulsa King,” “Dynasty,” “Murdaugh Murders: A
Southern Scandal” and “Teacup” all filmed there.
Hendrickson is looking forward to more signature
walking trails opening, since they’ll one day connect to
other counties. According to Gwinnett’s website, there are
currently six trails open and four more planned.
“We’ve been cutting the ribbons on some trails,” the Commission chair said. “It promotes quality of life, mobility and
connecting major areas that can catalyze activities.”
One facility she’s especially looking forward to opening is a new crisis stabilization unit. It’s a first for Gwinnett, meaning residents with certain mental health issues
won’t be sent to facilities outside the county. With groundbreaking coming in March, the facility should open about a
year later. Hendrickson said the facility would have come
in handy in January, when a 23-year-old veteran seeking
mental health help committed suicide right outside a facility in Lawrenceville that couldn’t admit him.
“I felt like if we had that center in place, we would
have been able to take him in,” she said. “It’s significant,
and our people need it.”
Everett Catts is a freelance writer who has previously worked as an editor for
various Georgia newspapers.
