The Putnam Development Authority (PDA) board of directors held a working lunch and strategy session last Tuesday at Cuscowilla to discuss current projects and plans for the future. The board also recognized the need to ensure the PDA communicates its mission effectively to county residents and investors.
Among the PDA’s primary concerns is how to promote more development in Putnam County, with some members expressing concern about the availability of downtown parking on busy days in Eatonton.
The potential of the current Putnam County Elementary School, conveniently located near the city center, was also addressed. A new elementary school will open next August near the middle school alongside Hwy. 16, east of downtown Eatonton. By Jan. 1, 2026, the present elementary school will be decommissioned and ready to be conveyed to a company or individual to make something of it that will enhance the community overall.
Several ideas and projects have already been proposed, but as the PDA is not in the development business, the directors primarily want to ensure that whatever becomes of the school will benefit everyone in Putnam County. Significantly, the school will not be available for lease but for sale only.
The PDA said it also wants to incentivize development to bring in new businesses and jobs to the county; particularly clean manufacturing jobs, which are said to be coming.
The city of Eatonton, centered between two major colleges, seeks to attract businesses and economic growth to offer more citizens a better quality of life. With that goal in mind, all PDA members are working together with other authorities.
Typically, the biggest issue associated with growth is maintaining adequate water and sewage services, which currently are described as excellent within a 10-mile radius of Eatonton.
This, along with the need for affordable housing, remains the primary objective of the Putnam Development Authority to ensure the county continues to grow and prosper.