* Barnes & Noble in F’ville closing in May

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Fayette | News

Barnes & Noble in F’ville closing in May

Thu, 01/28/2010 - 5:34pm

By: Ben Nelms

It has been nearly a decade since Barnes & Noble opened its doors across from the Fayette Pavilion on Ga. Highway 85 in Fayetteville. Those doors will close at the end of May.

Barnes & Noble Vice President of Development David Deason in a statement late Thursday said, “the lease is at the end of its term, and we were unable to reach an agreement with the property owners on an extension prior to the development going in to foreclosure, and then unable to reach an agreement with the lender once the property had gone into foreclosure.”

Deason said the Fayetteville store will operate through May. The premises will then be turned over to the owner/lender at the end of June, he said.

The 21,000 square-foot Barnes & Noble opened its doors on May 24, 2000 and, along with Linen & Things, was an initial tenant of the Uptown Square retail center and employed 60 people.

Uptown Square, LLC went into foreclosure in mid-2009.

Goodbye, Barnes & Noble

Submitted by Melungeon on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 2:56pm.

Now there will be absolutely NO reason to travel into "The Ghetto." Shopping in Newnan is much nicer ... and without hoodie-wearing thugs and their associated entourage bringing down the safety of the area.

I have not seen the thugs

Submitted by S. Lindsey on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 4:03pm.

but I am not happy to see B&N go.. Saturday mid-morning with a hot cup of coffee eating a sandwich w/soup while reading a good book was a simple pleasure sure.. But it was mine.

The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them. ~~Patrick Henry
"Illegitimus non Corborundum"

B&N

Submitted by NUK_1 on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 6:30pm.

I never encountered the crime crowd over there either. Then again, I can't think of a more thug-free zone than a book store.

Moratorium On Banks Payrolling County Taxes

Submitted by grassroots on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 2:19pm.

The next wave in the foreclosure crisis is commercial real estate. It may pale the housing. The reason the county is apathetic to empty store fronts is they get their property taxes no matter who owns the property. If they were proactive in this coming wave they would approach the banks and business community and offer a moratorium on property taxes. Even if they don't, there is a bill winding through the Federal legislature that would force counties to stop collecting any taxes on foreclosed property that has been empty more than six months. Private or commercial. I'm not a fed guy but that'll wake em up.

Who Needs The W'Fayetteville Bypass?

Submitted by ginga1414 on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 9:03am.

Come on Commissioners. This is exactly what the West Fayetteville Bypass Coalition has been talking about. There are businesses closing right and left in Fayetteville. Barnes & Noble is just an example. The foreclosure of Uptown Square is just another example. Isn't it obvious that if the county builds the Bypass to route traffic away from Fayetteville that will place an even greater financial burden on Fayetteville than is already there due to the economy? Think about it! Fayetteville will be financially destroyed, if you route traffic through beautiful woodlands and upscale homes, not to mention the destruction that will happen to our wetlands. The officials of this county are going to destroy an already financially strapped population. The folks of this county have been paying for the 2004 SPLOST for the last six years and now they are going to take $51,000,000 of our tax money and use it to destroy this county.

Yes , the bypass will cause more stores to fold

Submitted by suggarfoot on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 10:31am.

That Ford dealership will be doomed.

What ....THEY COULD DO...with some of that bypass money instead

...is...

install security cameras

something that has been in place in Great Britain for a long time. A wonderful deterrent to crime.

Security cameras aren't that expensive. They could take that money and invest it in security cameras about every other block, outside banks, and stores that are being robbed. You would cut way down on crime and maybe even cause out of count stores to move in here because it would be safer!

As I said, Great Britain, has been doing this for years. When their 'tube' was bombed around 9/11. They were able to take the camera tapes and back track the terrorist to the actual house he lived in!

Demographics

Submitted by PTC Observer on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 8:38am.

I travel the nation and visit B&N often when I do. You don't find B&N in areas like this near Pavilion location. Too off the track. Expect it to re-open further south in Fayette, possible south of Line Creek I suppose.

A bookstore to be successful needs to have plenty of traffic just like any other store. They weren't getting it in this location and the rent issue was a good excuse to pull out.

B&N area is heading downhill rapidly

Submitted by NUK_1 on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 12:04pm.

I'm sure B&N wanted some concessions in regards to a new lease considering the crime wave that is happening in the area of the Pavilion/Banks Station that are way beyond shoplifting and include armed robberies at banks right there. Linens and Things going OB a while back and HifiBuys also going belly up factored in to any decision to pay "full market value." The area is in steep decline and while B&N may put this on the property owner, I'm sure they looked at any new lease as a "give us a great deal or we're going to close a location we think is expendable".

I liked the B&N but prefer Books-A-Million personally, though getting hardbacks at $5 6months after their release date at B&N brought me into their store some. I can't agree with all the "independents" being run out by big chains when Omega is still alive and kicking in PTC. Internet shopping, and even your local libraries that are getting the most popular books immediately these days and you can check them out for FREE has as much as to do with where/how books are bought as do big chains.

The area B&N operates in is in decline and I see nothing going on that will ever reverse that. In a few years, the part of Hwy85 in Fayette county is going to strongly resemble Old National Highway or the Hwy85 stretch in Riverdale. It will either be that or a whole bunch of vacant buildings. It won't be anything good. It will be whether to have a gazillion title pawns, nail salons, check cashing stores or empty buildings.

Decline

Submitted by Citizen_Steve on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 3:27pm.

Fayetteville should just concede the northeast side to Clayton County where it can be more aptly managed. If there are any tax $'s left over from the strip mall over-development (unlikely), they should be used in an attempt to salvage Glynn St. nearer to downtown.

The big chains ran out the independents..

Submitted by Spyglass on Thu, 01/28/2010 - 9:29pm.

now they are closing..suits them right. I wonder when folks will figure this out.

Spyglass

Submitted by matt.barnes on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 11:30am.

Aren't you the guy that is always advocating for big development?

Not at all..

Submitted by Spyglass on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 4:13pm.

I'm for using the zoning that is in place...I'll say that..

Barnes & Noble closing

Submitted by ograce on Thu, 01/28/2010 - 8:37pm.

This is not the first time I have heard of building owners not being willing to be flexible on their tenants. Don't these owners realize that there is a lot of empty space in Fayetteville and that the more empty it gets the less desirable a place Fayetteville becomes. The times have changed and unfortunately we are all suffering the effects of it and landlords are not exempt. They need to step up to the plate to help Fayetteville recover. I am sure renters want too much flexibility so they need to meet half way. C'mon folks let's think about the bigger picture....for others for a change. Don't make the bottom line take place over the people.

This is a cautionary tale