Roswell City Council has unanimously approved a resolution that includes preserving the Masonic Lodge located at 1054 Alpharetta Street and incorporating it into a planned pedestrian plaza. After receiving public feedback and investigating a variety of options, Mayor and Council have decided to repurpose the Roswell Masonic Lodge, and transform it into an open-air pavilion that will be a historic centerpiece for downtown Roswell.
Restoring and repurposing the building as an open-air pavilion will not only preserve the site for the community, but it will create a unique focal point that speaks to Roswell’s historic character.
“We have an opportunity to create something truly unique to Roswell. In years to come, people visiting downtown Roswell will be welcomed by a landmark that speaks to Roswell’s rich heritage.”
Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson
“Our community has shared its passion for Roswell’s history and the significance of the Masons’ building. Your Mayor and Council are committing to the creative reuse of the property and incorporating it into our plans for a pedestrian plaza,” said Mayor Kurt Wilson. “We have an opportunity to create something truly unique to Roswell. In years to come, people visiting downtown Roswell will be welcomed by a landmark that speaks to Roswell’s rich heritage.”
The conversation surrounding the fate of the property began in spring 2024, when Roswell City Council approved the location for a bond-funded parking deck and related roadway improvements. The approval included authorization to acquire the property and to remove the Roswell Masonic Lodge building to accommodate the pedestrian plaza and walkways. Since that time, the City has received input from citizens through public comment at meetings, in-person meetings, phone, and emails, calling for the building to be preserved.
Mayor Kurt Wilson requested that City staff investigate alternatives for the property. During a Special Called Meeting on July 29, staff presented three options: First, the demolition of the building as had been authorized by Council’s spring 2024 approval. Second, stabilizing and remodeling the current building to transform it into an open-air pavilion. And finally, a scenario that contemplated deconstructing the building but salvaging historical materials that could be used in other projects.
The cost to stabilize and transform the historic structure into an open-air pavilion is estimated to cost approximately $3.53 million according to the staff report on July 29. Funding for this project will be determined at a later date.
About the Parking Deck and Green Street Activation Project
In recent years, the City of Roswell’s downtown historic district has become a popular regional destination for dining, shopping, special events, and tourism. Limitations of the City’s historic street network have resulted in mobility and parking challenges. In April 2021, a parking study suggested that a well-located garage with sufficient capacity could help keep vehicles out of the historic center, encourage longer visits, and invite more people to enjoy and patronize businesses in Roswell’s downtown. In November 2022, voters overwhelmingly approved $20 million for the City to build a parking deck.
The City and its consultant, Jacobs Engineering, conducted a thorough and objective assessment of eight potential parking deck sites. The site scoring the highest and identified as the most preferred were sites 4, 5, and 6—adjacent and overlapping sites bound generally by Green Street to the west, Cherry Way to the north, and Alpharetta Street to the east. One of these parcels includes the Masons’ building.
To enhance connectivity and safety near the parking deck, City Council also approved the Green Street Activation Plan. This plan proposes a pedestrian plaza (which will now feature the open-air pavilion), as well as modifications to Green Street—which directly borders the site of the parking deck— to provide safer, easier access for both drivers and pedestrians. Modifications include making Green Street one way southbound and incorporating a wide, bricked-paved multi-use trail and improved lighting and landscaping along the street.
The plan also calls for converting Plum Tree Street (which is currently a one-way road between Canton Street and Green Street) to a brick-paved multi-use trail that provides direct access to Canton Street.
More Information
To learn more about the City of Roswell’s Bond Program, visit www.RoswellGov.com/Bond.