Sandy Springs to get new stores

Though countless stores, large and small, have closed across the country, a few are still opening in Sandy Springs.

The Prado, a 345,000-square-foot, $125 million retail center along Roswell Road, is expected to be the home to nearly a dozen new stores in 2009.

Target opened in early October, and Staples is scheduled to open soon, according to Nick Gold, spokesman for The Sembler Co., the project developer.

Staples officials said their 20,000-square-foot store is set to open Saturday. It will be the second Staples in Sandy Springs, said company spokeswoman Katie Sullivan.

Several businesses in the previous shopping center remained and stayed open through the construction. Now a steady stream of new stores is scheduled to join them, Gold said.

Along with Staples, Larry’s Giant Subs, RBC bank and Publix are slated to open in the next five to six weeks.

Evos, FuegoMundo, Genki Noodles & Sushi, Starbucks and Taco Mac are scheduled to open by summer.

The development was to be home to a Circuit City, but the electronics store closure has left a void in the shopping center plans.

Gold said Sembler is in negotiations with another tenant.

The Prado will also have a Home Depot, Gold said. It is in the early stages of construction and no opening date has be set, he said.

Earlier plans called for many of the stores to be open by March, but the economy may have caused some businesses to delay.

“We’re all feeling this slowdown,” Gold said. “But we are very excited that there are so many new stores ready to come online.”