In separate actions on Tuesday, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners accepted the donation of 88 acres of a former golf course east of Pleasant Hill Road in unincorporated Duluth for use as passive greenspace and acquired a vacant grocery store in Lawrenceville for use as a records retention and management facility.

Benjamin A. Wood and Anthony L. Wood donated land located at the former Northwoods Golf Club site near Club Drive. Because the property is landlocked, the owners also offered a 30-foot-wide easement to Club Drive to the south.

“This land will be a welcome addition to our world-class park system,” said Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson. “We are grateful to the Woods for letting us have this property. It could potentially help us fill in some gaps in recreation for this area.”

The parcel, tucked between two neighborhoods, combines rolling hills, wetland areas and small patches of woods. The land also provides wildlife buffers and greenway trail possibilities that could connect with Gwinnett Place Mall, allowing alternative modes of transportation for nearby residents. Going east from the site, users would be also able to walk along the eventual Sweetwater Creek Greenway.

The Department of Water Resources plans to upgrade existing sewer lines on the donated property to accommodate growth in the area, including Gwinnett Place Mall and the Infinite Energy Center.

Commissioners also authorized the purchase of the former Ingles grocery located at 1050 Grayson Highway in southern Lawrenceville. The $5.2 million acquisition includes 11.3 acres and an 87,393-square-foot store. The building will be renovated to replace the current Records Management Center at 455 Grayson Highway, which is nearing capacity. The building, vacant since 2019, will house and manage records for courts and county departments as well as supplies for the Office of Emergency Management.