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Commercial growth
is rapidly calling South Fulton home
By LINDSAY
BIANCHI
Special to The Citizen
Which came
first; the strip mall or the subdivision?
It really doesn’t matter anymore because one follows the other in
a never-ending circle around the city of Atlanta.
South Fulton is the most recent area to see this growth happen. Camp Creek
Marketplace in East Point, which is getting ready to expand with another
huge addition, has had a catalytic affect on the surrounding area.
South Fulton Chamber director John Boothby has seen a lot of development
take place, and thinks it’s a good thing.
“The tax revenues that were being lost to the surrounding communities,
like the Fayette Pavilion, was significant,” he said. “We want
to redeem those in Fulton County.”
Boothby says getting businesses to start-up in an underserved area can
be tough-going at first. He mentioned East Point’s adoption of a
tax allocation district, or TAD, which helped them revitalize their business
area.
Across the street from the marketplace is the Duke’s mixed-use project,
which will eventually dwarf Camp Creek Marketplace. At the same time,
it will provide a built-in market.
“We think in the future it’s going to open up that corridor
between I-285 and the airport,” he said.
In the same area is the new 400,000 sq. ft. Georgia International Convention
Center. Across the street from it, another nine-hole golf course is being
added to Manchester Point.
“Between these two developments, you have a couple of miles of road,
and we think it’s going to become very attractive to national businesses,”
he said.
Additionally, the main street area between East Point and College Park
is beginning to look a lot like the Virginia Highlands area 25 years ago,
Boothby said.
With restaurants like the Main Street Bar and Grill, the Feed Store and
the nationally-rated Oscar’s, the area is enjoying a renaissance.
“Five years ago, not one of those was there,” he said.
On the other hand, Tudor-style brick homes that were going for $50,000
a few years ago, are now fetching $250,000.
“It all has to do with regentrification. People have moved out as
far as they can stand.”
If the trend continues, South Fulton could be one of the hottest areas
in the region for growth and development.
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