Downtown Woodstock is in the midst of two construction projects and will soon see a third project break ground.

Workers this week started work on the long-awaited roundabout installation on North Main Street at Haney Road.

The project, which is expected to last between 60 and 120 days to complete, forced the city to close North Main Street to through traffic from Dobbs Road to the Woodstock Public Library.

The roundabout is designed to help ease traffic flow through Main Street from the Woodstock Knoll development.

Work has also begun on a pedestrian crosswalk that will run across Main Street from Elm Street to Chambers Street.

City Manager Jeff Moon said the crosswalk is expected to be complete within the next two weeks. Moon added the city is still awaiting a notice to proceed form the state Department of Transportation on its Livable Communities Initiative streetscapes project planned for downtown.

The project, which improves the landscaping from the Main Street/Arnold Mill Road/Towne Lake intersection to Oak Street, is also awaiting the signature of two officials from the department.

Moon said the project could get the notice within the next three weeks and construction could begin soon after. Moon indicated he hopes to start the project after the annual city's FreedomFest activities in July.

Along with these projects, developer John Weiland recently announced he will partner with First Cherokee State Bank to complete the residential portion of the Woodstock Downtown project

The residential portion will include about 110 single-family and townhomes.

A new sales office will also be constructed. Woodstock Downtown, formerly known as Hedgewood Properties, went into foreclosure and First Cherokee State took ownership of most of the residential outparcels of the development.

With these projects coming to fruition, Moon said the downtown area will finally become what city leaders have envisioned.

"It helps move the ball forward with all the development plans," he said of downtown.

Last week, the city's old municipal complex was demolished to make way for the proposed City Park expansion and the City Council is considering a contract with BRPH to renovate the Woodstock Community Church's sanctuary to use as Council chambers.

The downtown area is also beginning to see new signs of life breathed into the commercial side.

Billy Peppers, the city's director of economic services, said at least a dozen groups have seriously discussed utilizing commercial space in downtown.

These businesses, which he said range from retail to restaurants, mainly hail from Cobb and northern Fulton Counties.

One business, Granger Motorsports, recently moved into the former Antiques by Samson and Delilah space on Main Street.

The former Woodstock Gas Company space on Main Street is also undergoing interior renovations, Peppers said.

However, the widely anticipated opening of J. Christopher within the Woodstock Downtown development still is a mystery.

Developers are finishing out the interior of the space and some furniture has been moved into the future restaurant's location, but Peppers said no one knows when it will open.

"That's the magic question," he said.

To bring more attention to downtown, the city entered into a contract with Gannett Media to participate in WXIA-TV's Hometown Focus campaign, which highlights a local city's amenities and its downtown area. Woodstock's segment will air in December.

Peppers also said he's been working on advertising with East Cherokee Baseball and other traveling baseball teams to highlight the city's diverse offerings of restaurants and hotels.

Peppers added he's optimistic about the coming months and noted most merchants are saying business seems to be "better."

"I think things are going to be much better this fall than last fall," he said.

Joanne Rooks of Roswell is also hoping for a great fall. Ms. Rooks, owner of Mom's Table, recently opened a retail center in downtown Woodstock.

Ms. Rooks said business has "gradually picked up" over the past few months.

"We're just getting our feet wet," she said.

Mom's Table offers homemade Southern cuisine for those too busy to cook their meals. It opened in Roswell two years ago and Ms. Rooks said the business has been successful there.

Ms. Rooks said Woodstock is a family friendly place and noted she's excited about being in the downtown area.

"The atmosphere has been tremendously friendly," she said. "The customers and merchants have been very nice."