DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran Johnson outlines 2026 master-plan vision for South DeKalb

Lorraine Cochran Johnson, DeKalb County's chief executive, outlined a Phase 2 vision for the county's 2026 master plan that would redevelop public and commercial sites in South and East DeKalb and support the county's 12 cities.

Johnson said the county is "at a critical moment in history" and urged action to realize long-term projects. "We are turning the corner into our best years," she said, framing a slate of priorities she described as ready for execution.

Among projects Johnson named were a mixed-use reconfiguration of 4380 Memorial Drive combining government operations with shopping, food and affordable housing; a reimagining of South DeKalb Mall with housing, dining and modern renovations; and a plan for Candler Crossing Shopping Center that would include a 50,000-square-foot Publix retail space.

She also described a proposed overhaul of Entrenchment Creek Park, a 78-acre property envisioned to include a pavilion, playground, pickleball courts, tennis and basketball courts, biking trails and a radio-controlled airfield for model-airplane enthusiasts. Johnson said the county is exploring adding a 24,000-square-foot expansion to Lucia Sanders Recreation Center for a multi-court gym, fitness studio and technology lab.

A staff member who addressed Johnson during the briefing used theatrical language to emphasize urgency, telling the CEO she had two symbolic options and warning that the "2026 plans" had been "stolen by the matrix." The staff member said the CEO's assignment was to "change the course of South And East DeKalb while supporting the 12 cities." Johnson responded that the work would require a team and, at the close of the exchange, stated, "2026 DeKalb County plan approved. It's time to execute." The transcript contains no recorded motions, votes, budget figures or specific implementation timelines.

The presentation described project concepts and sizes but did not specify funding sources, timelines, permitting steps or formal approvals required to move proposals forward. The transcript does not record a public comment period, a vote, or any binding action; it reads as a staged internal briefing or pitch that mixes policy description with theatrical elements.

Next steps were not specified in the record. The account in the transcript ends with a restatement of intent to execute the 2026 plan but without documentation of formal decisions, funding commitments or implementation assignments.