Brookhaven Mayor John Park told about 120 people at the city's annual State of the City luncheon that overall crime dropped 12% in 2025.

Park delivered the address Thursday, Sept. 24, at City Centre before the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce. He said all eight FBI Index crimes fell last year, with violent and property index crimes down 20% from 2024, according to Rough Draft Atlanta.

The mayor also pointed to two major private investments totaling $755 million that are reshaping the city.

The $605 million Northbend project will replace the Corporate Square office park near Interstate 85 with a mixed-use district of townhomes, apartments, retail, dining, a medical office hub and five acres of greenspace. Developers Third & Urban and HighBrook Investors have closed on 30 acres for the project, which Brookhaven rezoned as a Master-Planned Development. Development leaders project 400 construction jobs, 300 permanent jobs and $8.2 million in annual tax revenue at buildout, according to Urbanize Atlanta.

A separate $150 million redevelopment along North Druid Hills Road, anchored by a Nalley BMW dealership operated by Asbury Automotive Group, will include $8 million for Peachtree Creek Greenway corridor improvements. The developer will also provide easements for the future Greenway Connector Bridge over I-85, according to a city announcement.

The deal requires no tax abatements.

Park addressed the city's recent property millage rate increase, saying it was "a decision grounded in responsibility." He said Brookhaven still has the second-lowest millage rate among DeKalb County municipalities.

On finances, Park said Brookhaven holds double-AAA bond ratings from both Moody's and Standard & Poor's. He called the city one of only six in Georgia with that distinction, saying the ratings lower borrowing costs and save taxpayers money on parks, infrastructure and stormwater projects.

The mayor highlighted greenspace gains, saying the city has added 109 acres of parkland and that 75% of Brookhaven is now within a 10-minute walk of a park. He listed upcoming infrastructure projects including Peachtree Creek Greenway Phase II, the Caldwell Road infill sidewalk, the Greenway Connector Bridge, the Murphey Candler II Trail Project and the Briarwood Road Multi-Use Path.

The Atlanta Regional Commission voted in May to award $13.6 million in federal funding for Greenway Phase II, which will extend the trail from North Druid Hills Road to the Atlanta city limits and connect to PATH400, the Atlanta Beltline's Northeast Trail and South Fork Conservancy Trails, according to the city's announcement.

"We have moved beyond the early work of incorporation and foundation-building," Park said. "We are now in a different chapter, one that asks us to think carefully about what kind of city we want to become …"

Brookhaven City Council approved a $15.8 million agreement with Emory University in July to fund design and construction of the Greenway Connector Bridge spanning I-85, as first reported by Rough Draft Atlanta. Final design is expected in late 2027, with construction anticipated to begin in 2028.