LEESBURG, Ga. (WALB) - The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) in Lee County met with business leaders and residents to discuss ways to move the city forward.

This was the second Stakeholder Committee Meeting hosted by the DDA and Foresite Group LLC. In the first meeting, participants and others in the community completed a survey about the city of Leesburg.

“We’re trying to facilitate that conversation on what they like about Leesburg and what they want to see improved,” Erik Steavens, Transportation Practice Leader for Foresite Group LLC, said. “So that we can put a plan together that’s really a shared vision that everybody can come around.”

Records show that nearly 3,600 people live in city limits.

Based on the responses from the survey, Foresite provided three scenarios of what they believe Leesburg could look like in 20 years.

In the first scenario, the population of the city would grow to at least 6,000 people. That number is comparable to cities like Adel, Sylvester and more.

In the second scenario, the population would grow to anywhere between 10,000 to 12,000 people, and leaders compared it to cities like Cordele.

In the third scenario, leaders said the population would increase to anywhere between 15,000 and 18,000 people, and Leesburg would then compare to cities like Americus, Thomasville and Tifton.

“Those that are coming from the business community are thinking one way, those that are residents look at it from another way and those that are trying to help in the government sector are looking at things like ‘how do we fund and afford things,’” Steavens said. “All of these perspectives are good because that’s how you weave the tapestry of a plan together.”

The third stakeholder meeting is scheduled for August 20.

Leaders are also inviting residents to a public input opportunity at a city council meeting on August 5.

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