Preserve, modernize, diversify...
and do it sustainably
I’m Luis Suazo and I'm running for City Commissioner because I want to serve the residents of Avondale Estates by putting my time and talents to their best use. Our city has so much going for it, and I want to help guide it into its next great chapter.
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To me, Avondale Estates is like my 86-year-old home which sat neglected for over a decade before my partner and I saw its potential, honored its historic character, and thoughtfully renovated it to meet both today’s needs and tomorrow’s dreams. In much the same way, our downtown area has a rich history and strong bones. While great progress has been made, the work isn’t done yet.
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Now is the time to realize the next phase of Avondale’s transformation. I want to be part of the team that leads us there.​
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This is not a “residential VS. commercial” conversation—it’s a residential PLUS commercial vision. The goal is to balance our tax base and build economic resiliency that supports everyone. It’s a win-win for our residents and businesses alike.
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We live in a truly special place: a small town with character, charm, and a growing economic engine. But it needs continued leadership, vision, and stewardship to run smoothly into its second century.
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My vision is simple. I am running to:
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Preserve what makes Avondale Estates special, its architecture, green spaces and traditions;
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Modernize our city to adapt to the needs of this century while still honoring our past;
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Diversify our city's residential options and business types in order to decrease the city's reliance on residential taxes; and
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Sustainably execute these goals in a way that is both environmentally and fiscally sustainable.
Preserve the places and traditions that
longtime and new residents value
Avondale Estates was designed one hundred years ago as a “garden city” and is still one today. We’re a rare gem, just a few miles from Atlanta, nestled within the 8th largest metro area in the country. With that comes a responsibility to protect what makes our community so unique:
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A neighborhood lake with blossoming cherry trees and kids fishing along its shoreline;
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A tree-lined street that comes alive with thousands of white holiday lights and ends with a view of our colorfully illuminated holiday tree, floating in the middle of the lake;
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Morning golf cart rides to deliver kids to school, afternoon rides to the swimming pool and evening rides to grab dinner at award-winning restaurants and local breweries;
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The community parade down Clarendon Avenue each year to celebrate the Fourth of July;
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That’s Avondale Estates and the future of the city will build on this foundation—sustainably, equitably and beautifully.
Modernize and diversify
as we enter our second century
Let’s imagine what’s just around the corner:
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A safer, walkable North Avondale Road with a complete street design that includes highly visible crossings and slower traffic.
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A lively downtown area filled with options such as places for grabbing an after-school snack, bookstores, art and music lessons, or a visit to the playground at the Town Green.
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New townhomes and apartments around the Town Green, thoughtfully designed to reflect a new generation’s lifestyle---more compact, more sustainable and more reflective of the housing needs of a wider range of residents.
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These new homes will enhance Avondale Estates by providing more housing choices—different sizes, shapes and price points, so our city can be welcoming to different types of families, individuals, young and old.
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PICTURE THIS: Your children grow up in Avondale Estates, then move back to raise their own children. You downsize into a no-maintenance townhome by the Town Green, where your grandkids visit and play just steps away—no yard work required. Your walking group meets at your doorstep to stroll down newly tree-lined streets. That’s the future we’re building.
Keep Avondale Estates
Moving...Sustainably
Our Complete Street Project will soon be finished, but our future isn’t just about cars and roads. It’s also about people—walking, biking, and scooting between destinations. Avondale is perfectly positioned between two MARTA stations and we should fully embrace that.
We’re already adopting regenerative greenspace practices—like native perennial gardens in previously unused areas, and I’m inspired to make similar changes at my own home. The more we move away from water-heavy lawns and toward pollinator-friendly gardens, the more sustainable and beautiful our city becomes. We are, after all, a recognized Tree City and Bee City.
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Speaking of natural beauty, Avondale Lake is the jewel of our garden city and it deserves our attention. I recently read an excellent city report on the North Woods and Cobbs Creek, which feeds our lake. I learned the Cobbs Creek catchment area collects surface runoff from a 36-acre section of town and is the headwater for four major watersheds. Before the recent renovations, stormwater rushed through this area, eroding the land and carrying silt into the lake. Thanks to new rain gardens, the water now slows down, filters naturally, and feeds beautiful flowering plants, thereby entering the lake cleaner than before.​
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Another public area we can clean up and restore into a safe, beautiful natural space is South Woods, to make it more welcoming to families, walkers, and nature lovers, and less inviting to our growing coyote population.
Smart, strategic investment in our community
Nothing is free. City initiatives require funding. The good news is we’re in a strong financial position. The city has secured millions of dollars in grants for both infrastructure projects like stormwater pipes, and improvements like ADA-accessible playground upgrades. I support these efforts and push for continued smart fiscal decisions that multiply our city’s impact through partnerships, grant dollars, and strategic investments.
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One hundred years ago, Avondale Estates was farmland. George Willis saw the potential. He built the lake, the clubhouse, the pool and tennis courts, and our distinctive street layout. His dream included a thriving downtown to support residents, and residents who supported local businesses. That’s not just nostalgia. In City Hall you'll see a painting by Wilbur Kurtz. It depicts a downtown area surrounded by green space and, of all things at that time, townhomes! A vision that existed a century ago now has a chance to be realized in a modern way.
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I have a vision for Avondale Estates that is inclusive, equitable, and sustainable; a city that respects its past while building a stronger, more connected future.