Columbus Projects & Developments

[gah]

Dont have the details yet -- but apparently plans have been finalized for a Sculpture Walk along Broadway in DT. A dozen or so national artists will be loaning their sculptures for long-term display. I assume that if any generates enough support that it will be purchased with local funds/donations. Otherwise different sculptures will be cycled in and out.

That will be a great addition to the artsy motif that is being generated in the DT area. With the Rivercenter, Springer Opera new Corn Center (theater/art gallery), Bradley it is becoming a nice mini-Soho -- Southern style!

[ATLman1]

This sounds really good! Looks like that area will see a retail boom here soon.

Former textile mill has a buyer

It was supposed to be an auction of 88 acres of land and buildings once known as Swift Denim's Boland Plant. But after only one prospective bidder showed up Wednesday, the auction apparently became a quick round of contract negotiations.

In the end, it appears the property at the busy intersection of J.R. Allen Parkway (U.S. Highway 80) and Manchester Expressway (Ga. 85) may have found a buyer.

Jeff Holden, president of Lakeland, Fla.-based Charter Group, a real estate development company, has submitted a contract to the former textile mill's owner, New York-based investment group Patriarch Partners.

Financial details weren't released, pending Patriarch accepting the offer. Holden has an exit clause in the contract that gives him a week to consider the deal before making his final decision.

On Wednesday, four hours after the non-auction, the developer still sounded a bit unsure about the whole thing.

"I'm trying to understand all of the aspects of the deal because it's been a very confusing process," Holden said. "I've never been to an auction anything remotely like this one."

Auctioneer Wayne Evans of Wayne Evans Auction Co. was prepared to whip bidders into a frenzy, setting up a tent, chairs, podium, microphone and speakers. Afterward, in 90-degree heat, he said auctions can fall through at the last minute, but still land a buyer.

"They can, if somebody comes up and offers the numbers that we're looking for and he wants something else stipulated in there that we couldn't offer at auction," he said.

Even Holden, during an interview later via his cell phone, appeared hopeful that he could reach some sort of agreement with Patriarch and get on with the task of turning the property into profits.

"I was attracted to the potential in the area -- the demographics and the potential to redevelop the property into a variety of possibilities," he said of the property at 6801 Flat Rock Road.

The 88 acres and 490,000-square-foot structure on the land are situated next to the site where a Wal-Mart Supercenter is being constructed on Gateway Road. Additional shopping center space under the name of Billings Crossing also is planned adjacent to and in front of the Wal-Mart.

"If it's good enough for Wal-Mart, it's probably good enough for me," Holden said. "Wal-Mart's a great retailer and whenever they're setting up shop, it's always a good sign and a great indication for the area."

As for specifics about what he will do with the property if the sale, indeed, does go through, Holden said nothing is off the table. The buildings might be torn down or some allowed to remain. Asked if Target or Home Depot big-box stores might be possibilities for the location, he didn't rule them out.

"All of those are possibilities, but I don't have any further information," he said.

Wes Driver, the W.C. Bradley Co. real estate broker working to secure a deal on the land, said retail is probably the site's best purpose. The area's dense population, heavy traffic and strategic location in the region's growth pattern all are factors.

"Where else can you find a major intersection, an interchange like this, where you can get 80 acres of ground?" he asked rhetorically. "That's going to be a phenomenal site."

As to the auction confusion, Driver said everyone who wanted to attend the event couldn't make it. Then the discussions with Holden started on the spot and a contract was signed.

"It's in to (Patriarch) for acceptance," he said. "That's about all I can really say because that's what it is. A contract was prepared and has been submitted for review. We think it met the terms of which they had set as their goal."

This would be Holden's first venture in Georgia. The Long Island, N.Y., native has been developing and redeveloping property in the Lakeland, Fla., area about 15 years.

"Prices in Florida are growing and growing, and I think some people like myself are starting to look outside of Florida to get decent deals," he said.

Charter Group's Web site, www.charterfl.com, shows a firm with an eclectic mix of smaller companies under its belt. They include businesses involved in construction, asphalt, electrical, painting, stucco, roofing, plumbing, signage, architectural design and even pool tables. Holden has seven shopping centers listed on the site, with three more on the way.

[gah]

Today's L-E has a report of a speech that Jim Blanchard (ex CEO of Synovus) made to local leaders in hich he told them to expect "something big and important to happen." Does anyone know what was meant by thta. Was he just speaking generally and hypothetically -- ie, dream big. Or was he alluding to some specific as yet unannounced development?

Noone I know seems to know -- or,if they do, they aint telling me. Anyone have any ideas? Any rumors floating around? I would love to hear that Synovus is building a 25-30 story building DT or that KIA is going to have its US hq's DT or that Jaguar is building a plant in Lee County. Not predicting any of those things -- but, hey -- why not dream big? :-)

if any one has heard any whispers (and there are always whispers before big news breaks) please clue the rest of us in on the poop!

[ATLman1]

Today's L-E has a report of a speech that Jim Blanchard (ex CEO of Synovus) made to local leaders in hich he told them to expect "something big and important to happen." Does anyone know what was meant by thta. Was he just speaking generally and hypothetically -- ie, dream big. Or was he alluding to some specific as yet unannounced development?

Noone I know seems to know -- or,if they do, they aint telling me. Anyone have any ideas? Any rumors floating around? I would love to hear that Synovus is building a 25-30 story building DT or that KIA is going to have its US hq's DT or that Jaguar is building a plant in Lee County. Not predicting any of those things -- but, hey -- why not dream big? :-)

if any one has heard any whispers (and there are always whispers before big news breaks) please clue the rest of us in on the poop!

I have no clue what that means. I know Synovus and TSYS are talking about splitting, but that is known.

[gah]

I have no clue what that means. I know Synovus and TSYS are talking about splitting, but that is known.

HMMMM -- suppose he could have been referring to that -- but, as you say -- the possible spin-off has been in the works (and news) for a long while. Maybe he means that a final decision in that regard will be announced soon -- but why would that be "big and important"? Certainly so as to shareholders, but why to community at large? Also think that as a large shareholder he would be very careful not to send a red flag to the SEC by making insider comments on final spinoff decision. But then the remark is so ambiguous, he has plausible deniablity as a defense to any SEC inquiry.

Have not thought thru the possible upside/downside of a TSYS spinoff for the general community. Is it possible that a spinoff would permit TSYS to grow larger and quicker -- having more control over its own stock to use as leverage to buy/expand? Any ideas as to how the spinoff -- if it happens -- might shakeout for the local economy? I will try to check the boards for SNV and TSYS stockholders for a clue.

Edited August 29, 2007 by gah

[amyers]

Woohoo!

Zaxby's across from Shaw High School coming soon!

[ATLman1]

Woohoo!

Zaxby's across from Shaw High School coming soon!

I saw that area being graded the other day. There was no sign up, but it sounds like there is now! Great location!

[ATLman1]

Cessna to expand

Aircraft manufacturer to build $25 million plant, add 150 jobs over five years

The boom in the sale of business jets can be heard in Columbus today.

Cessna, a Wichita, Kan.-based aircraft manufacturing company, will announce a new $25 million Columbus plant -- an announcement that will mean 150 new jobs paying an average of $30,000 a year.

"We don't have the capacity at the current facilities to produce the parts required to meet the demand of increased production of business jets," Cessna spokesman Doug Oliver said.

Cessna, which employs nearly 600 people locally, has two plants in Columbus, both on 30 acres at Columbus East Industrial Park off Macon Road. The new facility will be on a 40-acre tract three miles away at a new industrial park being developed on property the city acquired in a land swap with Fort Benning.

The company makes single-engine planes and business jets at facilities in Columbus, Independence, Kan., and Wichita, Kan. The current Columbus expansion is being fueled by the success of the company's line of business jets, especially the Citation Mustang, a lightweight aircraft. Critical Mustang components are made and assembled in Columbus, including the empennage, or back end of plane, and many of the control panels.

This year, Cessna will make and sell 44 Mustangs. Next year, the company hopes to make 100 and increase that to 150 by 2009. All of the planes are presold, Oliver said.

"We don't build spec airplanes," Oliver said. "Some of the models are sold two and three years out. We will probably have one of our best sales years this year. That will put us further sold out in the future."

Today's announcement is to come at an afternoon groundbreaking ceremony at Muscogee Technology Park, with Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue in attendance. It will be the second time in two months an aerospace company with a Columbus plant has announced new jobs. In July, Precision Components International, a major global supplier in the aerospace and medical industries, announced a $53 million expansion that will create 100 jobs over the next five years.

The aerospace industry that includes Cessna, PCI and Pratt & Whitney, employs more than 1,400 people in Columbus.

The plans put Cessna on a path "for continued growth and development within the aerospace industry in our community," said Mike Gaymon, president of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority of Columbus have been working for nearly two years to land the Cessna expansion. The path was paved in August when the authority granted $25 million in industrial development bonds for Cessna. Those bonds will give the company a 50-percent break in property taxes over the next 20 years.

Becca Hardin, chamber executive vice president of economic development, was the chief recruiter in the Cessna project. She credited Columbus Technical College and the QuickStart job training program with helping to land the expansion.

"They're an employer of choice," Hardin said. "Columbus Tech has designed specific training programs for Cessna. That was a key part of this deal. We worked closely with Columbus Tech and had to convince Cessna we could supply the work force."

Cessna entered the Columbus market in 1996 when Textron Inc., Cessna's parent company, shifted an aerospace parts production facility it already had here under the Cessna name.

"What we saw then was they were going to come in here and shut the plant down and find a way to turn it around," Gaymon said. "It wasn't going to stay like it was. They brought in the right management. They put in the right equipment and the right training programs in place. All of those pieces and parts put it on the trajectory it's on today."

[amyers]

New developments:

Hungry Howies Pizza and Subs is adding a new Columbus location to the right of the new Brusters in their building.

Also there is a new tanning place going in at the new shopping center next to the Benz place.

[mitchella81]

Columbus is possibly about to get its 6th area Walgreens store. The Paradise group and Atlanta/Flordia development company is requesting a rezone for land at the corner of River Road and Mobley Road. This is located about a mile north of Green Islands Hills. The Paradise group also is known for developing Publix supermarkets, starbucks coffee shops and other great national retail stores. I'll keep everyone updated as I learn more.

[amyers]

Columbus is possibly about to get its 6th area Walgreens store. The Paradise group and Atlanta/Flordia development company is requesting a rezone for land at the corner of River Road and Mobley Road. This is located about a mile north of Green Islands Hills. The Paradise group also is known for developing Publix supermarkets, starbucks coffee shops and other great national retail stores. I'll keep everyone updated as I learn more.

Yeah, I think they requested to rezone months maybe even a year ago, across from the CB&T - River Road Branch. I saw them clearing land down the road on Mobley, let us know when you hear something!

[ATLman1]

Beacon University tasting growth, to renovate El Carrizo property

Mexican restaurant moving to brand new building at Columbus Park Crossing

Beacon University is expanding, while El Carrizo Mexican restaurant will be moving to Columbus Park Crossing.

Beacon, the faith-based liberal arts school at 6003 Veterans Parkway, has purchased the 10,000-square-foot building that has been occupied by El Carrizo since 2000. The plan is to relocate Beacon's library into the structure, which is adjacent to the university's 13-acre campus.

The timetable calls for El Carrizo to vacate the premises by the end of January. The restaurant has big plans, however. It will be moving into a 6,500-square-foot building under construction now at 6575 Whittlesey Blvd. in the Columbus Park Crossing shopping and dining area. The new eatery will seat 290 customers.

Columbus real estate developer Bud Allen, president of Allen Development Group, is constructing the restaurant as well as two other buildings that will be home to the The Sleep Center and another home-product store that has yet to be identified.

Altogether, Allen will be leasing 34,000 square feet of space on the 3.4-acre property, which is next to the Acura and BMW dealerships on Whittlesey. City building permit valuation for the construction is $3.2 million.

The Sleep Center, now at Harmony Place shopping Center on Airport Thruway, will occupy 10,000 feet of space, while another retailer will fill 10,000 feet. The Sleep Center also will sublease 3,500 feet to someone else, while Allen will have 5,000 square feet remaining to lease himself.

The project is in full swing. Thirty truckloads of concrete have already been poured at the site with steel now being erected. The goal is to have the buildings ready for tenants by the first of the year. El Carrizo will be on an outparcel closest to the four-lane boulevard.

The Sleep Center is looking to move to its new store in March. The mattress business is currently in a 3,900-square-foot showroom at Harmony Place shopping center on Airport Thruway. The new store will have 6,000 feet for the showroom, with the remainder being a warehouse.

Beacon University, meanwhile, will begin renovation of the old El Carrizo building as soon as the eatery vacates. The hope is to have the $2 million project completed by August, in time for the school's fall semester. The facility will be open to the general public.

But the library is not the only thing on the plate of Beacon, which has a student enrollment of 250. The university has acquired two homes across Veterans Parkway from its campus and is looking to buy a third.

Tentative plans are to construct a 3- or 4-story apartment building for students. It would house about 60 and, if everything remains on track, would be ready for the fall 2009 semester.

[ATLman1]

Building boom

As Ashley Station nears completion, revamp of Baker Village ready to begin

As the $57 million apartment community Ashley Station moves toward an early 2008 completion of its final phase, the Housing Authority of Columbus and its development partners are on track to begin construction on their $38 million Baker Village project next June.

"We have 435 of the 590 units vacant" at Baker Village, Len Williams, Housing Authority executive director, said Tuesday. The remaining residents are expected to be relocated by next April. Most are using public assistance vouchers and moving into private apartments across the city, he said.

About 1,000 people resided at the complex before relocations began.

"We will be proceeding pretty rapidly with demolition," Williams said of Baker Village off Fort Benning Road in south Columbus. "We'll take every unit down out there, clear the site, and then we will come back on approximately 25 acres for our two-phase development. That will leave a lot of acreage there to develop at a later date."

It will take about 14 months to complete the first 148-unit phase at Baker Village, with the second phase starting a year later, said Doug Faust, vice president of The Boulevard Group, an Atlanta-based firm serving as program manager of the project, as well as at Ashley Station off Talbotton Road. There will be between 250 to 300 apartments built on the site.

About 97 percent of the 184 apartments in the first phase at Ashley Station have been leased, Williams said. The mixed-income complex is being constructed on the former Peabody public housing site. The second phase has 183 units.

New community

That leasing success is what makes Faust confident Baker Village will be accepted by the community in an area that has deteriorated physically and economically over the last 30 years.

"The key thing is that we were developing a market-rate community and how that would be accepted where the former Peabody site was," Faust said. "The same thing could be said for our plans to develop a market-rate community at Baker... You develop and manage to a standard of excellence that folks are willing to rent, or buy if we offer sales."

There is the possibility of single-family home sales at the Baker Village site, which will be renamed at some point, Williams said.

Both Baker Village and Ashley Station are expected to have commercial development, although those details remain sketchy. Ashley Station is owned and managed by Atlanta-based developer and property management firm The Integral Group.

"It could be anything from a drug store to commercial offices to other types of operations," Faust said of Ashley Station. "If you look at what's go on along Talbotton, there's been a lot of office development through that area."

The Baker Village site will be owned by the Housing Authority. An Atlanta-based firm, Columbia Residential Development Inc., is assisting the authority with the project and will manage the apartment complex for two years before turning it over to the public agency, Williams said.

The $57 million price tag of Ashley Station includes a $20 million federal Hope VI redevelopment grant. There was no Hope VI money available for the $38 million Baker Village project.

The Housing Authority did apply for and recently received $8 million in state tax credits, however. The credits -- $800,000 per year for 10 years -- are purchased by wealthy investors and companies who use them to offset their income tax bills dollar for dollar. The authority will finance the remainder of the project.

Aside from upgrading existing public housing, the redevelopment effort is meant to provide other sources of revenue for the authority as federal housing funding dwindles, Williams said.

The authority's 10-year plan calls for a likely redevelopment of Chapman Homes, an elderly-focused complex with 161 units near downtown. There's also the possibility of buying more apartments or building on a vacant site, Williams said.

Then there's the likely redevelopment of Booker T. Washington apartments at the intersection of Veterans Parkway and Victory Drive. The complex has 390 units.

"But it will take four or five years to accumulate sufficient funds to do that," Williams said.

[aboutmetro]

Would like to keep a map updated...Greater Columbus, GA New Residential Developments

Send updates to [email protected]

Edited October 9, 2007 by aboutmetro

[ATLman1]

Sears buildings to be torn down

New York firm recommended to do demolition

The old Sears buildings at Macon and Rigdon roads in Columbus are about to be torn down.

Muscogee County Schools Superintendent John Phillips is recommending a New York firm be approved by the school board to tear down the main Sears building and the old automotive center. Action is expected at the Oct. 15 school board meeting, but the matter is expected to be discussed at Monday's board committee meetings.

Empire Dismantlement of Grand Island, N.Y., submitted the lowest of eight base bids at $657,890. That was more than $19,000 below the second-lowest base bid.

Meanwhile, the school board has hired a Montgomery, Ala., firm, GovDeals Inc., to sell off the contents of the Sears building. GovDeal Marketing Director Terry Bazzoon said Friday the building is full of items stored by the school district, ranging from pianos to weight-lifting equipment, automotive equipment, furniture, books and even 70 cases of isopropyl alcohol.

The auction is being conducted online, and interested persons can either go to GovDeals.com to search for the school district lots and see what is being sold, or go to the school district Web site and find the link to GovDeals.com. The company sells a variety of items for governments.

Bazzoon said interested parties can sign up online with the company to participate in the auction, and that the entire contents should be sold by late Tuesday night. Prospective buyers will submit bids by lots. So far, 29 lots have been identified and Bazzoon said there will be more. A time to view the lots in person may be set for Monday, he said, noting that the contents must be out of the building by Oct. 19 to allow for demolition.

He would not speculate on how much the school district can expect to make from the auction, but said his company will receive 7 1/2 percent of the proceeds.

The company handles sales of government items across the United States and has held auctions for school districts in Atlanta, Bazzoon said.

[mitchella81]

THe building that is going up across from the old Amerisuites Hotel on Northlake Parkway is a Xtreme powersports Marine store. Its a massive building covering the whole lot. I drove by the other day and they were putting the frame of the building up. It appears to be a two story building. In the same area the construction has started on the Amerisuites hotel which will become a Hyatt Place. There not tearing the building down just gutting and redoing the inside and putting a new roof on it. Its expected to reopen sometime next year

[ATLman1]

THe building that is going up across from the old Amerisuites Hotel on Northlake Parkway is a Xtreme powersports Marine store. Its a massive building covering the whole lot. I drove by the other day and they were putting the frame of the building up. It appears to be a two story building. In the same area the construction has started on the Amerisuites hotel which will become a Hyatt Place. There not tearing the building down just gutting and redoing the inside and putting a new roof on it. Its expected to reopen sometime next year

That is going to be a nice addition the Northlake area.

[aboutmetro]

Costco in Peachtree? Rumors stirring. GGP brought Costco to Cumberland Mall after Rich's and Macy's merged. Good idea or bad?

[gah]

Costco in Peachtree? Rumors stirring. GGP brought Costco to Cumberland Mall after Rich's and Macy's merged. Good idea or bad?

[/quote

Wouldnt Costco be somewhat down market for the mall? But then, nothing is as down market as an empty store and Cumberland is (or was the last time I was there) pretty up market. Would be nice if Belks reconsidered -- it seems a better fit.

[aboutmetro]

Costco in Peachtree? Rumors stirring. GGP brought Costco to Cumberland Mall after Rich's and Macy's merged. Good idea or bad?

Wouldnt Costco be somewhat down market for the mall? But then, nothing is as down market as an empty store and Cumberland is (or was the last time I was there) pretty up market. Would be nice if Belks reconsidered -- it seems a better fit.

I don't know. I think Costco would be a good fit. This does seem to be a trend for them. Might help them compete with N Col Crossing, which, as nice as it is, is really just a giant discount strip.

[amyers]

A few notes:

* The CostCo at Cumberland Mall was built as an outparsell rather than in the mall, so it's a bit different atleast for me.

* There was an article by WTVM about 6-8 months ago regarding the old Parisian store saying that Dillars parent company had bought the building, maybe to turn it into a "Dillard's Home Store" like they did at a mall in Macon.

* There isn't any free space at the mall to build anything other than the land beside Best Buy but I doubt that's enough for a warehouse store.

Therefore, I wouldn't think these rumors are true.

[mitchella81]

I haven't noticed it on here yet, but i know its been in the wind for a while. But Steve and Barrys is opening a store in Cross Country plaza in the old service merchandise building. Its suppose to open up later this month and employ nearly a 100 people there was a article on Columbusareaonline about it about a week ago. Hopefully this could be a starting trigger to the revitalization of midtown Columbus

[ATLman1]

What's the status of the old Sears building by the library? Has it started being demolished?

[gah]

What's the status of the old Sears building by the library? Has it started being demolished?

Not as of last weekend. I suspect that -- considering the recent TAD debacle -- this project may well be postponed and/or scaled back. Apparent outrage at the school board over this project (and the fiasco over the library) is being cited as the contributing factor in the TAD defeat. I know that there is no connection between the school board and TAD. But apparently there are enough misinfomed voters in town to tip the balance into the "reaction over reason" column.

[ATLman1]

Construction of new YMCA set to begin in February

The new YMCA planned for downtown Columbus will offer all kinds of ways to break a sweat.

The John P. Thayer YMCA, to be built at the corner of Broadway and 14th Street, will boast two racquetball courts, a rock-climbing wall, an indoor track and a four-lane, 25-yard swimming pool, among other amenities, said project architect Michael Starr of Andras Allen Starr Architecture.

Starr said design work on the approximately 52,000-square-foot facility is mostly complete, and that he hopes groundbreaking will take place in February 2008.

The project's construction budget is $10.5 million.

On Monday, the Uptown Facade Board, which regulates the appearance of downtown structures, approved the building's design, materials and site layout.

Architects expect to go back to the board next month to get final approval on signage, color, landscaping and minor changes to the facade.