Stonecrest, Georgia

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Stonecrest, Georgia
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Stonecrest, Georgia
Stonecrest in Metro Atlanta
Coordinates: 33°42′04″N84°10′19″W / 33.70111°N 84.17194°W / 33.70111; -84.17194
Country United States
State Georgia
County DeKalb
Government
  TypeMayor-Council
  MayorJazzmin Cobble
Area
[1]
  Total37.97 sq mi (98.34 km2)
  Land37.40 sq mi (96.87 km2)
  Water0.57 sq mi (1.47 km2)
Elevation
883 ft (269 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total59,194
  Density1,582.60/sq mi (611.05/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
FIPS code 13-73784 [2]
GNIS feature ID2786722 [2]
Website stonecrestga.gov

Stonecrest is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The boundaries of the city generally lie in the far southeastern corner of the county, and a smaller portion just north of Interstate 20. The city borders the existing municipality of Lithonia, as well as Rockdale and Henry counties.

Contents

The city's population was 59,194 at the 2020 census, [3] which makes it the 15th-largest city in the state as well as the largest city that is entirely within DeKalb County, as Atlanta, the state capital, is located mostly within Fulton County.

History

Residents in the area voted in the November 2016 General Election to approve the city. In March 2017, elections were held to elect representatives for five city council districts as well as mayor. Jason Lary, a former insurance executive, concert promoter, and advocate of incorporation was elected the city's first mayor. [4]

The area is home to the Mall at Stonecrest, for which it is named, as well as the Davidson-Arabia Nature Preserve, Flat Rock Archives, and Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. [5] [6] [7]

The city had voted a plan to deannex 345 acres of its territory so that the Georgia Legislature could create a new city, to be called Amazon, Georgia, if Stonecrest had been selected to host Amazon's new corporate headquarters, a project which would result in billions of dollars of investment and the creation of 50,000 jobs, [8] a number equal to the estimated population of Stonecrest. [9]

Jason Lary, the former Mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing COVID-19 relief funds that were supposed to go to struggling businesses. Jason Lary, whose resignation went into effect at 10 a.m. Wednesday, January 5, 2022, pleaded guilty to three counts involving wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy. Lary agreed that he diverted at least $650,000 in relief money by requiring Stonecrest churches and businesses to kick back a portion of their grant money to companies he controlled. [10]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
2020 59,194
U.S. Decennial Census [11]

2020 census

Stonecrest racial composition [12]
RaceNum.Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)1,3942.35%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)54,09991.39%
Native American 670.11%
Asian 2200.37%
Pacific Islander 100.02%
Other/Mixed 1,7692.99%
Hispanic or Latino 1,6352.76%

In the 2020 United States census, there were 59,194 people, 20,325 households, and 11,759 families living in the city. Stonecrest in 2019 had a median household income of $49,865 [13] and a median age of 32.9 years. 18.6% of the population live in poverty. The median property value in the city was $111,400. 43.3% of the population owns homes.

Places of Interest

The Mall at Stonecrest

The Mall at Stonecrest opened in 2001 and home to over 100 stores and eateries.

Flat Rock Archives

The Flat Rock Archives is an African American museum which mission is to preserve the rural African American history in Georgia.

Arabia Mountain

Arabia Mountain is a part of the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area and is the northern of two peaks in the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve.

Governance

The City Council members are District 1, Jimmy Clanton, District 2 Rob Turner, District 3 Jazzmin Cobble, District 4 George Turner and District 5 Tammy Grimes. The area is represented at the county level by District 5 Commissioner Mereda Davis-Johnson and Super District 7 Commissioner Lorraine Cochran- Johnson.[ citation needed ]

Education

The DeKalb County School District is the area school district. [14] [15]

Elementary schools serving parts of Stonecrest and located in Stonecrest include: Murphy Candler, Fairington, Flat Rock, Panola Way, and Stoneview. Parts are also in the Redan, Princeton, and Rock Chapel elementary zones. [16]

Middle schools serving parts of Stonecrest include Salem Middle School (in Stonecrest), Lithonia Middle School (in Lithonia), and Miller Grove Middle School (near Stonecrest). [17]

High schools serving parts of Stonecrest include Lithonia High School (in Stonecrest), Miller Grove High School (in Stonecrest), and Martin Luther King High School (across from Stonecrest). [18]

A magnet school, Arabia Mountain High School, is in Stonecrest.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeKalb County, Georgia</span> County in Georgia, United states

DeKalb County is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 764,382, making it Georgia's fourth-most populous county. Its county seat is Decatur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chamblee, Georgia</span> City in Georgia, United States

Chamblee is a city in northern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, northeast of Atlanta. The population was 30,164 as of the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Decatur, Georgia</span> City in Georgia, United States

Decatur is a city in, and the county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. With a population of 24,928 in the 2020 census, the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple ZIP Codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear Decatur as the address. The city is served by three MARTA rail stations. The city is located approximately five miles northeast of Downtown Atlanta and shares its western border with both the city of Atlanta and unincorporated DeKalb County. The Druid Hills neighborhood is to the northwest of Decatur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doraville, Georgia</span> City in Georgia, United States

Doraville is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States northeast of Atlanta. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 10,623.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lithonia, Georgia</span> City in Georgia, United States

Lithonia is a city in eastern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The city's population was 2,662 at the 2020 census. Lithonia is in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redan, Georgia</span> Place in Georgia, United States

Redan is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a total population of 31,749. It is a predominantly African American community in eastern DeKalb County, and is a suburb of Atlanta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stone Mountain, Georgia</span> City in Georgia, United States

Stone Mountain is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 6,703 according to the 2020 US Census. Stone Mountain is in the eastern part of DeKalb County and is a suburb of Atlanta that encompasses nearly 1.7 square miles. It lies near and touches the western base of the geological formation of the same name. Locals often call the city "Stone Mountain Village" to distinguish it from the larger unincorporated area traditionally considered Stone Mountain and Stone Mountain Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tucker, Georgia</span> City in Georgia, United States

Tucker is a city located in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, located near Atlanta and was originally settled in the 1820s, and later developed as a railroad community in 1892. According to the 2016 United States Census Bureau annual estimate of resident population, it has a population of 35,322. In a November 2015 referendum, by a 3:1 margin (73.94%), voters approved incorporating Tucker into a city. In March 2016, Tucker residents elected the city's first mayor and city council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arabia Mountain</span> Mountain in Georgia, United States of America

Arabia Mountain, a part of Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, is the northern of two peaks in the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. A low saddle separates it from Bradley Mountain, several hundred feet to its south. The two form a monadnock. The peak is 955 feet (290 m) above sea level, rising 172 feet (52 m) above Arabia Lake reservoir. Bradley Mountain is closer to the visitor trails than Arabia Mountain and is often misidentified by visitors as Arabia Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensington station (MARTA)</span> MARTA rail station

Kensington is an at-grade train station in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, serving the Blue Line of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail system. It has one island platform with 1 track on each side. This station opened on June 26, 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Creek station</span> MARTA rail station

Indian Creek is a train station in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, the eastern terminus of the Blue Line of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) rail system. It has an island platform with one track on each side of the platform. This station opened in June 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Luther King Jr. High School (Georgia)</span> Public secondary school in Lithonia, Georgia, United States

Martin Luther King Jr. High School is a public high school located in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, with a Lithonia postal address. It opened in August 2001 as the newest high school in the DeKalb County School System, and was named after the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeKalb County School District</span> Public school district in Georgia, United States

The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) is a school district headquartered at 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, near Stone Mountain and in the Atlanta metropolitan area. DCSD operates public schools in areas of DeKalb County that are not within the city limits of Atlanta and Decatur. It will serve a portion of Atlanta annexed by that city in 2018 until 2024, when that portion will be re-assigned to Atlanta Public Schools (APS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Mall at Stonecrest</span> Shopping mall in Georgia, U.S.

The Mall at Stonecrest is a super regional shopping mall along Interstate 20 in eastern Metro Atlanta that opened in 2001 on the growing I-20 corridor. It is off exit 75 in Stonecrest, Georgia, which became a city in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metro Atlanta</span> Combined Statistical Area in Georgia, United States of America

Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Roswell metropolitan statistical area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the sixth-largest in the United States, based on the July 1, 2023 metropolitan area population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Its economic, cultural, and demographic center is Atlanta, and its total population was 6,307,261 in the 2023 estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Lithonia High School is a public high school located in Stonecrest, Georgia, United States, near Lithonia. A part of the DeKalb County School District, it serves 1,450 students in grades 9–12. Darrick McCray is the current principal. The school offers many clubs and extracurricular activities, including book club, Men of Distinction, Future Business Leaders of America, robotics, marching band, and chorus. Sports include baseball, football, basketball, volleyball, swimming, golf, tennis, soccer, track, gymnastics, cheerleading, softball, and wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miller Grove High School (Georgia)</span> Public high school in Stonecrest, Georgia, United States

Miller Grove High School is a public high school in Stonecrest, Georgia, near Lithonia. It is part of the DeKalb County School District.

Arabia Mountain High School Academy of Engineering Medicine and Environmental Studies is located on the edge of the Arabia Mountain green space in Stonecrest, Georgia, United States, with a Lithonia post office address. This public high school opened in August 2009. It is a LEED-certified building and uses the "Environment as an Integrating Context for learning" (EIC) curriculum. It is connected to the nature preserve via a spur bicycle path.

The Arabia Mountain Path (AMP) is a paved biking and hiking trail connecting sites within the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, Georgia, United States, built by the PATH Foundation. The trail covers more than 30 linear miles and features hills, sections of boardwalk, a serpentine bridge, and access to 13 free trail head parking areas. The AMP connects a number of visitor destinations and recreational areas including Panola Mountain State Park, the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, the Mall at Stonecrest, and historic Lithonia, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flat Rock Archives</span> Archives in Stonecrest, Georgia, USA

The Flat Rock Archives is an African American historical museum located in the city of Stonecrest, Georgia. The mission of the archive is to preserve rural African American history in Georgia. The archive is located in a historic home built by T.A. Bryant, Sr., and was donated in 2005, by Rev. T.A. Bryant, Jr. and his sister, Zudia Guthrie, to preserve and store all the Flat Rock records and documents. It was established as a museum and resource to genealogical and historic research, as well as a heritage tourism site. The Flat Rock Archives consists of a variety of historic sites including the Flat Rock African American Historic Cemetery. All of these sites are located within the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. See Flat Rock, Georgia to learn more about the history of this area.

References

  1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  3. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Stonecrest city, Georgia". www.census.gov. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  4. Rosen, Sam (April 26, 2017). "The Border Battles of Atlanta". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  5. "Information Lookup". Interdevgis.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  6. "The City of Stonecrest". stonecrestcityalliance.com. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  7. "Stonecrest Yes Committee | Dedicated to Self Governance of Our Future!". Stonecrestga.gov. June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  8. "Town wants Amazon's new HQ so much it plans to split off new town called 'Amazon'". The Register. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  9. "City of Stonecrest designed for businesses". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  10. "Former Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary pleads guilty to federal fraud charges". FOX 5 Atlanta. January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  12. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  13. "United States Census Bureau QuickFacts, Stonecrest City, Georgia". US Census Bureau. January 7, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  14. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: DeKalb County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  15. "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Stonecrest city, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved February 19, 2023. - Compare city map to DeKalb County school boundary maps.
  16. "Elementary School Attendance Areas 2018 - 2019 School Year." DeKalb County School System. Retrieved on February 19, 2023.
  17. "Middle School Attendance Areas 2018 - 2019 School Year." DeKalb County School System. Retrieved on February 19, 2023.
  18. "High School Attendance Areas 2018 - 2019 School Year." DeKalb County School System. Retrieved on February 19, 2023.