Milledgeville, Georgia

[Mellophonius]

I haven't noticed anything about my hometown, Milledgeville, on this site yet (other than being mentioned as one of the towns along the Fall Line Freeway), so I thought I'd type up a little bit about it.

Milledgeville was the capitol of Georgia through most of the 1800s, including during the Civil War, and was one of Sherman's HQs during his march. Now, it's home to three institutions of higher learning: Georgia College & State University, Georgia Military College, and Central Georgia Technical College. It also has a downtown district that is growing, although the economy has slowed it down somewhat. Whatever growth downtown has been cancelled out by the many job losses the town has suffered. The Rheem air conditioner plant and the Shaw carpet factory have both closed. Several state prisons have closed as well, including the Bill Ireland Youth Development Center, and Central State Hospital has also suffered many job losses. Once the largest mental health institution in the state, CSH now seems to be on the road to closure. Soon, the last of the most historic buildings (the Powell Bldg) on its original "pecan grove" campus will be closed, leaving all operations in the newer buildings farther away. CSH has suffered financially for a long time, not even being able to afford demolition of the older, abandoned buildings. This may end up to be a good thing, however, as GC&SU has recently said they would like to one day open a rural health institution of some sort in the Powell Building, which may expand into the other historic "pecan grove" buildings.

Because of its heavy reliance on state jobs, Milledgeville has suffered more than most other communities in Georgia. Yet it appears that Kroger is planning to build a new store by the end of the year, halfway between Milledgeville and Lake Sinclair (where Baldwin County's richer citizens live). Neither one of the town's newspapers have addressed whether or not our existing Kroger, a former Bi-Lo, would remain open. Of course, that's what everyone here has come to expect from the unprofessional newspapers we're stuck with. But in the current economic situation, is it a good idea for Kroger to open a new store? I know that groceries are necessities, and the store would definitely get business from the lake, but it's slated to be just one store in a larger shopping center. Besides, it would be a welcome exception to the job losses around here. What is the best way for a town that relies on state jobs to make it through this bad economy?

[DigitalSky]

I have a friend who lives in nearby Sandersville, so I've been to Milledgeville a few times. They go to Milledgeville's Kroger to do their grocery shopping.

[george]

I love The Brick downtown.

[Mellophonius]

Yes, the Brick is the most established of all the restaurants downtown - I love it too.

Since I started this topic, I learned that the existing Kroger will indeed close, and that the new one will be the largest one in Georgia, if not the entire southeast.

[DigitalSky]

http://www.macon.com/2010/10/27/1317135/kroger-to-build-new-store-in-milledgeville.html yeah 93,000 sq ft is big, Wonder if they'd consider making it a Kroger marketplace.

[Mellophonius]

Construction continues on the new private prison and the new Kroger, as well as on the T.J.Maxx opening in the former Goody's at the mall. There are also rumors that Ingersol Rand/Trane will move into the former Rheem building.

[Mellophonius]

Triumph/Vought is adding 300 new jobs to the Milledgeville plant.

[Mellophonius]

T.J.Maxx opens this Sunday. Krystal is under construction on Columbia St; Yofuria is under construction downtown. Little Caesars opened recently across from the current Kroger. The new Kroger opens October 26.

...I think that's about it.

[george]

I friend of mine is opening Yummo Yogo in september in Millegeville.

[Mellophonius]

Really? I haven't heard about that, where is it opening

[george]

it's opening at 129 blandy way suite A.

[Mellophonius]

Apparently that's the old Forstmann manufacturing plant on the corner of Blandy Way and GA 22 (Gray Highway). I know that building has been divided up and has several tenants already, but it sounds like an odd place for a yogurt shop.

[Mellophonius]

T. J. Maxx is now open, Krystal is now open, Yoforia is under construction, and Kroger is nearing completion with an opening date of October 26. Still no news on what might be opening at the new Kroger shopping center or in one of its outparcels.

There was a plan floated around recently to relocate all post office services to the former Winn Dixie, replacing the main post office downtown and the sorting annex on Garrett Way, a side street connecting US 441 Business to the bypass. City Hall would then move its annex offices into the post office building (right across the street) and demolish the existing annex building, replacing it with a parking lot.

A local developer is going to renovate the old Belk building downtown, where the Belk store was until the opening of the mall. After Belk moved out, the building's first floor housed a Family Dollar for a while, then, until a few years ago, an antiques store. The second and third floors have been vacant since Belk's departure. The plan is to have retail space on the first floor (and presumably the basement, which the antique store also occupied) and loft apartments on the second and third floors. The back part of the building soon to house Yoforia, a few doors down from the Belk building, has been demolished to allow for the expansion of the parking lot behind the Belk building, connecting two seperate parking lots on the inside of the city block.

[george]

Yummo Yogo now open.

[Mellophonius]

Kroger has been open almost a month, and construction has begun on the old Belk building downtown. Georgia Bob's BBQ has opened up in the former Pig in a Pit downtown. Jittery Joe's has closed, and GCSU is negotiating with potential replacements, most likely Dunkin' Donuts. Puebla's Mexican restaurant downtown has also closed. Sylvia's Grille at the Walmart shopping center has closed.

[Mellophonius]

Save-a-lot, in front of the Milledgeville Mall, closed several weeks ago, and the older of the two Pizza Huts in town has also closed. The message board in front of the former Long John Silver's/A&W says "Hibachi Express Coming Soon", but there hasn't been any mention of it in the papers. Our Kentucky Fried Chicken closed unexpectedly, and its franchiser kept it open as Down South Restaurant, which lasted about a week.

I heard a rumor that the Save-a-lot building will be demolished to make way for a LongHorn Steakhouse, but I haven't seen any credible evidence yet.

[george]

LongHorn Steakhouse is building in Milledgeville,but im not sure where.construction to start 4th quarter 2012.

[george]

looks like it's going to 2470 North Columbia Street,not sure if thats were save a lot was or not.

[Mellophonius]

looks like it's going to 2470 North Columbia Street,not sure if thats were save a lot was or not.

After looking at Google Earth, I saw that 2470 is definitely the address of the old Save-a-lot. It's on an outparcel at Milledgeville Mall, but the grocery store building took up the whole outparcel and shared parking with the mall itself. I imagine LongHorn's entire footprint, restaurant and parking lot and all, will take up only the space of the old Save-a-lot building itself.

Where did you find out this information?

[Mellophonius]

LongHorn will be opening in September, in a portion of the old Save-a-lot building. Yoforia has backed out of opening downtown, and Quiznos will open in its place. Our Piggly Wiggly stores will transition to Belle Foods. Pizza Hut may be opening a carryout location downtown, in part of the former Luigi's/Deano's/Three Guys Pies space.

[Mellophonius]

LongHorn opened over six months ago, and the downtown Quiznos has been open for quite some time as well. PetSense is now under construction in the remaining portion of the old Save-a-lot. Our former Blockbuster is being carved up into smaller tenants, including an urgent care clinic and Firehouse Subs, which has not yet opened. Hibachi Express has started construction on the interior of the former Long John Silver's/A&W. A locally-owned brunch restaurant called the Local Yolkal will be opening in one of the retail spaces in the Baldwin Lofts building. The date for our Piggly Wigglies to convert to Belle has not yet been announced. The first of the small shop buildings at the new Kroger shopping center will begin construction in May, and it will include Great Clips, Shane's Rib Shack, and a nail salon.

 

Ever since LongHorn opened, rumors have persisted that Milledgeville will be getting a Red Lobster and/or an Olive Garden. The Red Lobster rumors have been springing up occasionally for years and years, but I suppose Darden building a LongHorn here has fueled them more than anything else ever has. I wouldn't be surprised to see Olive Garden and/or Red Lobster come to Milledgeville, considering their presence in similar-sized towns such as Dublin, Tifton, and Waycross, but nothing has been announced, and I haven't seen any evidence of anything on the tax assessor's website or any of my other sources.

[Mellophonius]

PetSense, Firehouse Subs, Hibachi Express, and the Local Yolkal have all opened. Payless Shoe Source recently closed, and its building will soon be remodeled and converted to a Dunkin' Donuts / Baskin Robbins. Hobby Lobby will open in the former BI-LO/Kroger space in September.