Union City was among three

recipients in South Fulton to receive an award and will be eligible to

receive significantly more money for implementation of their study through

the federally funded program, administered through the Atlanta Regional

Commission (ARC).

Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh has

extensive experience in Atlanta and the Southeast.One of the projects

that most appealed to Union City officials is the firm's work on the Winter

Park (Florida) Mall Redevelopment, partnering with the firm of Glatting

Jackson, who will again team with Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh in Union City.

Winter Park was challenged

worked with both the city and the property owner to develop an alternative

urban design concept that essentially integrated the city into the mall.Today,

Winter Park Village is a revitalized live, work and play community that

is highly successful.

"We are looking for the

help of the Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh team to remake the Shannon Mall area

and environs into a seamless community," said Mayor Ralph Moore,

himself a professional city planner."With our enviable location on

Interstate 85 and its direct connection with Hartsfield Atlanta International

Airport and the amenities of Atlanta nearby, Union City has a very good

chance of being a highly desired address."

Thomas H. Walsh, a principal

of the firm, says he is very excited at this opportunity to work with

Union City."We've done a lot of work in Atlanta and her suburbs but

the potential of Union City has really gotten our interest.We're grateful

to have the opportunity to help Union City's vision and virtually re-create

the downtown to this dynamic area around Shannon Mall."

City Administrator Alan Grindstaff

and City Planner Ann Lippmann will be the City's liaison with the Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh

team.

According to Grindstaff, one

of the reasons they picked TSW was their philosophy of development.

"Their work rejects the

formulaic development patterns of the last 40 years in favor of the traditional

principles of American town and city planning which shaped our communities

prior to World War II.Union City is very much interested in recapturing

that "feel" right here and is greatly encouraged by TSW's feeling

that we offer a real chance of achieving that result."

The initial scoping session

will take place during the month of July and will incorporate "visual

preference survey" tools to help to understand what the citizens

and stakeholders of Union City want in their community.Notices of the

time and location will be published as soon as they are known so that

a broad base of information can be constructed.

The LCI contract calls for

all work to be submitted to the ARC by December 31, 2003.Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh

plans for their final document to be presented to the City by November

21, 2003.