Emory Morsberger - Man of the Year

Gwinnett Magazine, 2006

By Belinda Sawyer

Gwinnett's visionary redeveloper has progress in his sights Superlative-wise, Emory Morsberger is branching out. His trademark "incredible" now shares conversation space with "phenomenal," "magnificent" and "massive." That's the kind of year it has been for Gwinnett Magazine's 2006 Man of the Year.

Morsberger is the driving force behind several major Gwinnett development and redevelopment projects and is recognized as a key architect in shaping the Gwinnett County of the future.

Forging ahead, though, is best done with a mindful eye on the past, believes the CEO of the Morsberger Group. Guided by lessons learned as a history major at Emory University, Morsberger is committed to preserving historical buildings and architecture whenever possible, a "buy and restore" approach strongly evident in his downtown Lawrenceville projects.

The renaissance underway on and around the Lawrenceville courthouse square is arguably Morsberger's most visible project and rates a positive report card from residents, visitors and its un-abashedly enthusiastic developer.

"The revitalization of Lawrence-ville is going incredibly," Morsberger says. "We have restaurants that are full most nights, great shops, a parking deck under construction, the Aurora Theatre ... under construction, and a plan for loft and condo living underway.

"It's massive how far Lawrenceville has come," Morsberger says. And yet this self-described "visionary redeveloper" has much more in mind for the county seat. "Lawrenceville will be larger than Decatur. We will bypass Decatur and Marietta within the next10 to 15 years. That's not a goal, that's a reality."

However, the revitalization of Lawrenceville doesn't rank as Morsberger's main project for 2006. That honor goes to his brain child, the Brain Train - a high-speed commuter rail system designed to unite Atlanta and Athens, with stops along the way at the area's colleges, including Gwinnett Tech, and the CDC, Lawrenceville and Lilburn. Four of the planned 12 stops are in Gwinnett County.

"I'm not a transportation or railroad expert. I'm just sick of sitting in traffic. Our traffic hurts the quality of life for those of us who live in Gwinnett. It takes away from time that can be spent in the community and with our families," he explains.

The Georgia Brain Train Group, with Morsberger as chairman, was formed this yearand recent months have been devoted to educating residents along the route about the benefits of the rail system. The response, Morsberger says, is overwhelmingly positive. "The Brain Train is on track!" What's next? Building legislative support and ultimately, securing federal and state funding, says the group's chairman.

Rounding out a "three-way tie" of 2006 business accomplishments for Morsberger is the progress on the Southwest Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District (CID). A "phenomenal" plan to improve security in the area was recently presented to the CID board. "We're doing what people said couldn't be done."

But to Morsberger, far and away the highlight of his year actually happened far and away, in the form of a family trip to Asia with his wife and seven daughters. A seasoned traveler to the Far East, sharing the region with his family was a treasured first. From Gwinnett's Lawrenceville Square to China's Tiananmen Square - incredible indeed!