Citizens living near a longstanding East Cobb eyesore got some encouraging news Thursday night: The owner of the blighted Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center is in talks with a developer.
That’s according to Joe Glancy, moderator of the Sprayberry Crossing Action group on Facebook, who said in a post to its 4,635 followers that there’s a “tentative agreement to redevelop—I say tentative because nothing is set in stone and we are in the very early stages.”
Glancy, who organized a town hall meeting last March about the shopping center, said he’s met with executives from the development firm—which he did not identify—and which asked to gain more input from other nearby residents in the next week.
Glancy said the development firm “is reputable, their interest is sincere and I believe, that although it’s difficult to please everyone, most members of the community will be pleased with what the firm is capable of.”
He called the discussions “a ray of hope” and said he would “share more information as things progress.”
Among those community leaders is Shane Spink. He’s meeting with the developer next Wednesday and told East Cobb News that “I think they are being smart by reaching out to the community with their ideas on what they are looking to do” with the 16 acres on Sandy Plains Road and Piedmont Road.
UPDATE: On Friday Glancy said the developer is eyeing a mixed-use project for the property, but there’s nothing more detailed at this point beyond the concept.
For many years residents near the decaying retail center have urged county officials and the owners to take action.
Most of the businesses have long vacated the premises. Citizens have complained that the former bowling alley has been a spot for criminal activity.
Even after Cobb commissioners imposed a “blight tax” on the property last year, little has happened.
Last August, a Cobb judge ordered NAI Brannen Goddard, the Atlanta real estate agency that owns Sprayberry Crossing, to clean up a portion of the property. The most Brannen Goddard could be taxed according to the remediation plan is around $21,000 for 2019.
Earlier this spring, frustrated citizens posted photos of themselves with signs on the Sprayberry Crossing Action page, trying to shame Brannen Goddard into action.
The Sprayberry Crossing property also has been included on a redevelopment list by Cobb commissioners, meaning a developer could be eligible for tax abatements (like Kroger at the MarketPlace Terrell Mill under construction on Powers Ferry Road).
Glancy said he said he’s withholding more details for now “because the developer has been willing to be open, to communicate and to show progress. As such I’m willing to extend them the courtesy of letting them manage the roll out until they are ready.
“This has been a very long time coming. I hope and believe the community will continue to show the same character and courtesy that this group has demonstrated over the previous 30 months.”
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Details a little birdie told me:
Will be mostly residential, as there are many vacant storefronts in the area, and this property is located back from the road. They are trying to get Lidl to sign on, but worry they will be too picky.
The residential will be a mix of 55+, townhomes, and apartments with some green space to hold events.
They are pushing the Bottle shop to take over the vacant Sun Trust space, but it’s a long shot. The overall idea is that the renovation will elevate the retail amongst the entire intersection.
There are potential tax reduction benefits available to redevelopment of distressed properties like Sprayberry Crossing. However, the benefits for that type of re-development are typically NOT as generous as the tax abatement given to Kroger on Powers Ferry.