Authority shifts attention to retail needs

Fri, 03/20/2009 - 2:11pm
By: John Munford

In an update to the Peachtree City Council Thursday night, the city’s development authority outlined a variety of tasks undertaken to help industrial and retail businesses in the city.

The Development Authority of Peachtree City’s highest-profile project recently has been the recruitment of Atlanta Christian College, which is hoped to locate here.

Traditionally the authority has helped with industrial recruitment and retention. It has continued that goal, meeting with existing companies such as Hoshizaki, World Airways, Dolce Atlanta-Peachtree, Cooper Lighting and TDK. Those lunch meetings give the authority a chance to appreciate those industries and also get feedback from them on issues, said DAPC Chairman Todd Strickland.

The authority is now treading into unchartered territory as it begins to dabble in the city’s retail needs. DAPC officials are working on proposals to fill the recently-vacated Kroger grocery store at the Peachtree Crossings shopping center, Strickland said.

The DAPC’s goal for retail is to “communicate resident preferences of what we want to have in town,” Strickland said. In addition to the Kroger space, other vacant spaces are being worked on as well, he added.

The authority recently hosted a meeting with business owners in the Braelinn Village area with the goal of retaining businesses, and similar meetings are planned for the city’s other four villages, Strickland said.

Meanwhile DAPC is partnering with Georgia Tech for a planning study on creating a “sustainable multi-generational community” that will include a look at how the city’s village concept is working, Strickland said. Noting the buildup of retail near the intersections of Ga. Highways 74 and 54, Strickland said some of the city’s village retail centers may need retrofitting to insure long-term success.

In addition to pursuing the private Atlanta Christian College, the DAPC is also working on efforts to expand the presence of Clayton State University here as well, Strickland reported.

The authority is also working to help small businesses and recently published a 16-page magazine that lists a variety of businesses in the city, Strickland added.

“We’re trying to help our small businesses that are just hanging on to get a few more customers in the door,” Strickland said.

login to post comments

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.
Robert W. Morgan's picture
Submitted by Robert W. Morgan on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 8:35am.

Addressing the retail problem in the "Village Centers" is a really good idea. It shows that someone in the city is willing to stick with the plan and not treat the land use plan with disdain.

Random thoughts:
1. Each village center is supposed to have a grocery store, now 2 do not. Glenloch and Aberdeen.
2. Publix is not in the city, but could be. Cart path connection and annexation would be a good thing. Then Glenloch would have a new village center (albeit off to one side).
3. Braelinn needs to focus on its location near Peachtree Towne Club and several seniors-oriented subdivisions. It will never have highway frontage, so don't try to pretend it does - instead focus on the senior element. At the very least a shuttle bus running from 10 -5 in a circuit throughout Braelinn Village would literally bring customers to the retail establishment's door. Towne Club would be a big sponsor when they can some more occupants. City should run it.
4. Security is an issue everywhere. The auxiliary police need to have a visible presence at shopping centers.

And by the way, the reason we are having a problem in the village centers is that the land use plan was abandoned back in the 1990's when some genius (Lenox?) decided that The Avenue was a good idea. It sucked the higher end retailers out of the village centers and the way above market rent took them under. Try to learn from history - city council.


Robert W. Morgan's picture
Submitted by Robert W. Morgan on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 8:35am.

Addressing the retail problem in the "Village Centers" is a really good idea. It shows that someone in the city is willing to stick with the plan and not treat the land use plan with disdain.

Random thoughts:
1. Each village center is supposed to have a grocery store, now 2 do not. Glenloch and Aberdeen.
2. Publix is not in the city, but could be. Cart path connection and annexation would be a good thing. Then Glenloch would have a new village center (albeit off to one side).
3. Braelinn needs to focus on its location near Peachtree Towne Club and several seniors-oriented subdivisions. It will never have highway frontage, so don't try to pretend it does - instead focus on the senior element. At the very least a shuttle bus running from 10 -5 in a circuit throughout Braelinn Village would literally bring customers to the retail establishment's door. Towne Club would be a big sponsor when they can some more occupants. City should run it.
4. Security is an issue everywhere. The auxiliary police need to have a visible presence at shopping centers.

And by the way, the reason we are having a problem in the village centers is that the land use plan was abandoned back in the 1990's when some genius (Lenox?) decided that The Avenue was a good idea. It sucked the higher end retailers out of the village centers and the way above market rent took them under. Try to learn from history - city council.


Don Haddix's picture
Submitted by Don Haddix on Mon, 03/23/2009 - 9:17am.

The 54 Publix has already had Step 1 annexation approved. I had talked to them about being annexed in last year, along with the golf cart path issues. They were very receptive.

I agree Aberdeen, my Village, has not had a grocery store since A&T closed. But with the others I don't think PTC could really handle another one.

Braelinn has been a focus since January of 2008. Please remember DAPC was on the shelf up until and why I went on a liaison, meaning to get them off the shelf.

Police are not a DAPC issue, but I agree with the security need and Chief Clark is doing all he can. It is a manpower issue in these economic times.

Golf cart path security is an issue in Braelinn.

As for the Land Use Plan, that is a biggie for me. Getting back to the Village Concept as much a possible is a major goal.

Now the 54/74 intersection is a problem. I have seen 3 potential plans. One would consume a lot of the shopping center around Pike and put a bridge over to Walmart for traffic relief, taking out a lot of businesses and turn the Walmart road into a major thoroughfare, the split grade would add ramps that would basically kill Westpark and all the businesses, including The Avenues, on the west side of 74 and the other would make the turn lanes onto 54 two lanes.

None are good solutions and, to me, would not be an issue now if we had stuck to the Village Plan. We would have had room to do intersection work in some form and there would be less traffic without the concentration of shopping centers in one location.

We need to do what we can to not make the whole thing even worse, like adding more shopping centers and lights to that area.

I will close by saying the people on DAPC are good people working hard for PTC. They are extremely important to the future of PTC.

Don Haddix
PTC Councilman
Post 1
donhaddix.com


matt.barnes's picture
Submitted by matt.barnes on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 5:25pm.

The city is actually doing something useful.


Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.