Stonecrest, Georgia

Stonecrest is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The boundaries of the city generally lie in the far southeastern corner of the county, and a smaller portion just north of Interstate 20. The city borders the existing municipality of Lithonia, as well as Rockdale and Henry counties.

The city's population was 59,194 at the 2020 census, which makes it the 15th-largest city in the state as well as the largest city that is entirely within DeKalb County, as Atlanta, the state capital, is located mostly within Fulton County.

History
Residents in the area voted in the November 2016 General Election to approve the city. In March 2017, elections were held to elect representatives for five city council districts as well as mayor. Jason Lary, a former insurance executive, concert promoter, and advocate of incorporation was elected the city's first mayor.

The area is home to the Mall at Stonecrest, for which it is named, as well as the Davidson-Arabia Nature Preserve, Flat Rock Archives, and Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area.

The city had voted a plan to deannex 345 acres of its territory so that the Georgia Legislature could create a new city, to be called Amazon, Georgia, if Stonecrest had been selected to host Amazon's new corporate headquarters, a project which would result in billions of dollars of investment and the creation of 50,000 jobs, a number equal to the estimated population of Stonecrest.

Jason Lary, the former Mayor of Stonecrest pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing COVID-19 relief funds that were supposed to go to struggling businesses. Jason Lary, whose resignation went into effect at 10 a.m. Wednesday, January 5, 2022, pleaded guilty to three counts involving wire fraud, theft of government funds and conspiracy. Lary agreed that he diverted at least $650,000 in relief money by requiring Stonecrest churches and businesses to kick back a portion of their grant money to companies he controlled.

2020 census
In the 2020 United States census, there were 59,194 people, 20,325 households, and 11,759 families living in the city. Stonecrest in 2019 had a median household income of $49,865 and a median age of 32.9 years. 18.6% of the population live in poverty. The median property value in the city was $111,400. 43.3% of the population owns homes.

The Mall at Stonecrest
The Mall at Stonecrest opened in 2001 and is home to over 100 stores and eateries.

Flat Rock Archives
The Flat Rock Archives is an African American museum which mission is to preserve the rural African American history in Georgia.

Arabia Mountain
Arabia Mountain is a part of the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area and is the northern of two peaks in the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve.

Governance
The City Council members are District 1, Jimmy Clanton, District 2 Rob Turner, District 3 Jazzmin Cobble, District 4 George Turner and District 5 Tammy Grimes. The area is represented at the county level by District 5 Commissioner Mereda Davis-Johnson and Super District 7 Commissioner Lorraine Cochran- Johnson.

The first or inaugural council members elected were: District 1 Jimmy Clanton, District 2 Rob Turner, District 3 Jazzmin Cobble, District 4 George Turner and District 5 Dr. Diane Daniels Adoma. District 5 was the largest council district at that time. Dr Daniels Adoma was also elected the very first Mayor Pro Tem by a vote of 4–2. Councilwoman Jazzmin Cobble received 2 votes and Dr. Diane Daniels Adoma received 4 votes and she eventually ran for mayor against Jason Larry in 2019 and lost and she continued working in the community as a business owner https://dianeadoma.com.

Education
The DeKalb County School District is the area school district.

Elementary schools serving parts of Stonecrest and located in Stonecrest include: Murphy Candler, Fairington, Flat Rock, Panola Way, and Stoneview. Parts are also in the Redan, Princeton, and Rock Chapel elementary zones.

Middle schools serving parts of Stonecrest include Salem Middle School (in Stonecrest), Lithonia Middle School (in Lithonia), and Miller Grove Middle School (near Stonecrest).

High schools serving parts of Stonecrest include Lithonia High School (in Stonecrest), Miller Grove High School (in Stonecrest), and Martin Luther King High School (across from Stonecrest).

A magnet school, Arabia Mountain High School, is in Stonecrest.