A proposal to redevelop a dilapidated East Cobb shopping center took another step forward this week as new plans were unveiled to the public.
The proposal by Atlantic Realty to redevelop the Sprayberry Crossing shopping center now calls for 30,000 square feet of space for a grocery store, 8,200 square feet of retail space and a co-working space of 12,000 square feet. It will also include residential units including 120 senior living apartments, 56 town homes and 172 traditional one- and two-bedroom apartments.
The plan incorporates the existing Mayes Family Cemetery into the development and adds a town green feature near the co-working and traditional apartments.
Richard Aaronson of Atlantic Realty Partners, which is in talks to buy the 15-acre site at the corner of Sandy Plains and East Piedmont roads from the current owners, said he's unable to reveal the name of the proposed grocer, but said the company is "presently represented in the metro Atlanta area."
The current proposal represents a change from the original presented in 2019: It has fewer residential units, less retail space, and has changed the office space into a smaller amount of co-working space. The original proposal also sought to move the cemetery to a nearby church, but Aaronson said his team ultimately determined that was not a feasible option.
The goal of the design process, Aaronson said, was to come up with a proposal that would be reasonably well-received by residents living around the shopping center.
“We understand that we are never going to get unanimous approval on each concept,” he said.
Credit: Atlantic Realty
Credit: Atlantic Realty
Aaronson said Atlantic Realty does not anticipate requesting any tax abatements from Cobb County to move ahead with the proposal. He also said the company is mindful of the current economic environment and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic could have on the real estate market.
Atlantic Realty plans to break ground in the first quarter of 2021 and to open its first commercial and residential units in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Aaronson said the company is accepting community feedback through its website, sprayberrycrossing.com, and is planning to host a virtual community presentation in the near future.
“We are not trying to rush the process,” he said. “We do want to move at a pace that’s consistent with the community.”
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East Cobb resident Shane Spink, who has been involved with efforts to improve the property, said the proposal is an “addition” to what’s currently on the site. The property, managed by NAI Brannen Goddard, consists of a former bowling alley and grocery store. The strip center is now sparsely occupied by a church and a few other tenants.
Spink said he’s also heard a lot of positive feedback about the grocery store concept. However, he said he would like to see more retail, restaurants and shops that can be patronized by people not living in the development.
“For me, I’m hoping this isn’t the final drawing they plan on doing,” he said.
Credit: Atlantic Realty
Credit: Atlantic Realty
Cleaning up the Sprayberry Crossing property has been a long-running campaign undertaken by East Cobb residents, most of whom are members of the Sprayberry Crossing Action group on Facebook.
Dozens of residents last year used social media to share photos of themselves in front of vacant storefronts. The campaign resulted in more than 100 photos of people, some of whom held signs decrying the conditions.
READ | Cobb judge: Sprayberry Crossing has to clean up its act ... or else
Cobb County Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, who represents the area where the shopping center is located, said she won’t weigh in on the plans until a formal application has been submitted to the Community Development Department for review.
She said if the developer filed the application by the May 4 deadline, the earliest it could come before the Cobb Planning Commission would be in July.
However, County Commissioners have not considered their March and April zoning cases, so “everything is going to be backed up,” Birrell said.
Joe Glancy, another East Cobb resident, said he believes the ultimate decision for whether the project is best for the community should be up to the residents and the county commissioners.
“If the community wants it, I’ll be behind them,” he said. “If not, I’m still going to be all over those current owners to clean up the blight.”
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