A familiar commercial building once home to the Marietta Flea Market will soon be demolished as part of the city’s ongoing project to revitalize one of its major corridors.
Marietta will begin demolishing the strip center at the southwest corner of South Marietta Parkway and Franklin Gateway within the next two weeks, said Daniel Cummings, the city’s economic development director.
The 84,000-square-foot building is 36 years old and was once home to 11 businesses, including the flea market, Cummings said. Marietta bought the property several years ago for $5.8 million as part of its efforts to redevelop the former Franklin Road corridor.
The building is about about a mile north of the site IKEA USA purchased from the city, Cummings said. The Sweden-based company has expressed interest in opening a second store in Marietta.
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Council members on Wednesday approved a contract with Southern Environmental Services for $297,830. Cummings said the demolition will also include the removal of the existing parking lot.
Cummings said the city is marketing the site to buyers for redevelopment. He also said the city’s decision to invest in Franklin Gateway’s revitalization has removed blight, created jobs, increased safety, improved infrastructure and property values and spurred private investment.
“This property’s redevelopment will only add to these transformative improvements,” he said.
Mayor Steve Tumlin said the city’s interest in Franklin Gateway formally began when city voters in 2013 passed a $68 million Redevelopment Bond, $64 million of which was applied toward the Gateway and $4 million for streetscape improvements along Whitlock Avenue.
Tumlin said the city does not have any preconceived notions about what it would like to see at the site “other than we want a top-notch development right at the Gateway.”
“We hope to get a project that will say, “we’re Marietta and we’re proud to be here’,” he said.
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