Forsyth County Dedicates New Freedom Park Campus and Provides Open Houses to the Public
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday, March 18, for Freedom Park (2435 Freedom Parkway), the new Forsyth County administration campus. The ribbon cutting ceremony was followed by an open house. Photos from the event can be found here.
The ceremony featured remarks from District 2 Commissioner and Chairman Alfred John, County Manager David McKee, Executive Vice President of Carroll Daniel David Stone, and Managing Member/Owner of Jericho Design Group Doug Shaw.
Additionally, another open house will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 21, where residents and stakeholders can tour the new Freedom Park facility.
The current Forsyth County Administration Building (110 E. Main Street) opened in 1996 and has served as the home for County government operations for 30 years. In that time, Forsyth County’s population has grown from 60,000 to over 280,000, necessitating a larger, more adaptable and future-ready facility.
Forsyth County government’s administrative offices will officially move to Freedom Park on March 30.
Freedom Park includes a new 135,000-square-foot Administration Building on the campus that will provide a “one-stop” concept for visitors needing to conduct business with the County, expediting and enhancing the permitting and overall customer experience. Modernized meeting rooms will feature improved audio-visual capabilities to conduct official County business and will feature multiple conference rooms of various sizes for staff and public use through an electronic reservation system.
The building is designed with the future in mind as it stands ready to expand an additional 75,000 square feet and add a multi-level parking deck without the need for acquiring additional property or interfering with ongoing County operations.
The Freedom Park campus will also soon be home to a fully funded (via employee benefit fund surplus) employee center known as Freedom Commons, which will provide opportunities for employees to enhance their wellbeing through partnerships with healthcare providers with proven records of success in delivering whole health services.
“By strategically focusing on the health and wellbeing of our employees, we are not only attracting and retaining the best possible staff for our community, but also reducing healthcare costs with a healthier workforce, which has a direct result in taxpayer savings,” said Forsyth County Manager David McKee.
Freedom Park also features a one-mile paved multi-use trail, as well as a non-paved nature trail, both available for immediate public access.
The new home to Forsyth County government operations was put into motion in 2017 with a strategic, multi-year Public Facilities Investment Plan initiative that calls for the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office to repurpose the current Administration Building (110 E. Main Street) as the Sheriff’s Office headquarters, along with the addition of a new Real Time Crime Center.
The Courthouse Annex (100 W. Courthouse Square), the current home to the Sheriff’s Office headquarters, will become the home to judicial and community service providers. Additionally, the Forsyth County Courthouse (101 E. Courthouse Square) will see the addition of a buildout on the third floor to house Magistrate Court. Probate Court will occupy the second floor of the Juvenile Justice Center (875 Lanier 400 Parkway). Lastly, Freedom Park will see the addition of a new facility that will become the home of the Forsyth County Tax Commissioner and Board of Assessors.
Carroll Daniel Construction Company is the Freedom Park general contractor, and the campus designer is the Jericho Design Group.
Additional information regarding Freedom Park and the Forsyth County Public Facilities Investment Plan can be found by visiting www.forsythco.com/freedompark.