• The City of Douglas, Georgia, received the ICSC Excellence in Community Advancement Award at ICSC Las Vegas, recognizing its Douglas Square/T.A.D. redevelopment initiative on the national stage.
• The project transformed a vacant former high school site into a thriving 360,000 sq. ft. retail destination, generating over $40 million in private investment and up to 275 permanent jobs.

• A coalition of public and private partners made this nationally recognized achievement possible, showing that strong partnerships drive lasting community impact.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LAS VEGAS, NV – May 18, 2026

Douglas Square/T.A.D. Redevelopment Initiative Recognized as Outstanding Public-Private Partnership at the National Level

The City of Douglas, Georgia, an Electric Cities of Georgia (ECG) community, was honored on Monday evening with the ICSC Excellence in Community Advancement Award at the annual ICSC Las Vegas Convention, held at the Wynn Las Vegas. Douglas Mayor Tony Paulk accepted the award on behalf of the community.

ICSC established the awards as part of its Community Advancement operations to spotlight collaborations between municipalities and private developers that deliver measurable public benefit. The 2026 winners span a range of contexts and development types, from large‑scale urban and suburban redevelopments to new rural projects in communities with fewer than 50,000 residents. The Excellence in Community Advancement Awards recognize communities and their partners who are driving impactful development in their marketplaces, celebrating outstanding public-private partnerships that have delivered successful retail and mixed-use projects.

The City of Douglas was recognized in the Rural Redevelopment category for its Douglas Square/T.A.D. Redevelopment Initiative. This transformational project converted a vacant former high school site into a thriving regional retail destination.

“This competitive national award illustrates the power of true public-private partnerships and what can happen when multiple groups come together with a willingness to strengthen and add long-term value to a community,” said Daniel Martin, ECG Manager of Retail & Commercial Development and ICSC Georgia Marketplace Chair for Community Advancement. “We are incredibly proud of the City of Douglas and all of the partners who made this nationally recognized achievement possible.”

Working alongside Coffee County, the local school district, state agencies, and private developers, the City of Douglas created a tax allocation district (TAD) approved by voters to address longstanding infrastructure deficiencies that had stalled reinvestment in the area. Targeted public funding for utilities, transportation, site preparation, and parking significantly reduced development risk and generated more than $40 million in private investment.

The master-planned development delivers nearly 360,000 square feet of retail, integrated public parking, and pedestrian connections linking the site to downtown Douglas and South Georgia State College. National retailers, including Publix, Chick-fil-A, and Starbucks, now anchor the development, retaining local spending and drawing shoppers from across the region. Since opening, Douglas Square has increased the local tax digest by more than $10.5 million, supports as many as 275 permanent jobs, catalyzing surrounding commercial development, downtown reinvestment, and new housing.

The project was made possible through a broad coalition of public and private stakeholders, including:
Public Sector Partner: City of Douglas, Georgia
Private Sector Partner: Jones Co.
Development Company: Perlis Nease Development
Architect: Phillips Partnership
General Contractors: Stellar Contracting and Buxton Construction
Management and Leasing Company: JBS Capital Investments
Additional Public Entities: Coffee County Commission, Douglas-Coffee County Economic Development Authority, University System of Georgia, South Georgia State College, and Georgia Department of Transportation.

Congratulations to the City of Douglas, Mayor Tony Paulk, and all of the partners involved in this nationally recognized achievement. This award is a testament to what is possible when communities dare to invest in themselves, and when the right partners come together to make it real.

About ECG ECG’s Office of Economic & Community Development serves as a liaison between prospective businesses locating in Georgia and the ideal site to meet their needs. These efforts lead to community development and economic growth across the State of Georgia.
For more information, visit www.locationgeorgia.com or www.ecoga.org.

About ICSC ICSC is the global organization for the marketplaces industry, with more than 70,000 members across the retail real estate ecosystem. For more information, visit www.icsc.com.

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