Thursday, April 2, 2015

Exciting New Retailers Are Headed to Snellville

A significant new shopping center is being planned for Snellville.

Plans call for the project, dubbed "Scenic Promenade," to break ground later this month and open next spring.  

According to city records, Scenic Promenade will be 83,375 square feet (the site plan shows the actual square footage to be 88,235), on just under 13 acres (currently mostly trees). The center will provide surface parking for 371 vehicles.  Scenic Promenade's developer is listed as Maxie Price. Maxie Price, for those unaware, owns "Maxie Price Chevrolet" on Highway 78 in Loganville.  My recollection is that Price once operated a number of dealerships but seems to have reduced his dealerships and diversified into real estate. 

Scenic Promenade will be anchored by a Best Buy (relocating from a location nearby), HomeGoods and The Fresh Market. Seven smaller inline shops will also be located in the center. 

The shopping center is also slated to have two out-parcel sites, at least one of which seems tailor-made for a drive-thru restaurant. The seemingly restaurant worthy space measures 3,735 square feet while the other out-parcel comes in at 2,100 square feet.  

The property is situated on Scenic Highway between  the existing Best Buy and a Lowe's Home Improvement store.  The Kroger / The Home Depot-anchored Presidential Commons shopping centers is across the street.  

HomeGoods, a division of Framingham, Massachusetts-based TJX Companies Inc., is reportedly returning to an area it once served. According to a loyal reader, HomeGoods previously occupied a roughly 35,000 square foot space in nearby Presidential Markets shopping center in the mid- 90s.  The former HomeGoods space is today occupied by Bed Bath & Beyond.  Sibling TJX brands Marshalls and T.J. Maxx each continue to operate in the center.  The new HomeGoods will be 21,500 square feet.  

The Fresh Market has proven willing to open smaller stores to penetrate target markets.  Last month I was in Charlotte where it was recently disclosed that The Fresh Market will open a new 14,400 square foot store in Dilworth Gardens. The store is a full 10,000 square feet smaller than a typical The Fresh Market.  The upcoming Snellville store won't be that small, but is slated to be 20,400 square feet, slightly smaller than a typical location.   

The Fresh Market has a store planned for the Druid Hills area this summer, and another planned for Roswell late this year.

Phoenix, Arizona-based Sprouts Farmers Market entered the Atlanta market last year with four stores. The first was at the Shoppes at Webb Gin, a lifestyle center near Scenic Promenade, along Scenic Highway. Sprouts at the Shoppes at Webb Gin opened in a 26,000 square foot former Ethan Allen furniture store.    

Best Buy's relocation is a bit of a head-scratcher considering their neighboring store is only ten years old.  The 46,000 square foot building is literally a stone's throw from where the new 30,000 square foot store is planned. No word on what plans there may or may not already be for the current Best Buy store.  Best Buy made a similarly close move in Dunwoody in 2010.  In this case though, Best Buy moved from a 36,000 square foot space, to a new, more visible, approximately 45,000 square foot space within the same center.  Their new space was a portion of Home Depot EXPO while their former space later reopened as a Nordstrom Rack. 

What inline shops and or restaurants would you like to see open in Scenic Promenade?  Do you The Fresh Market will succeed in such close proximity to Sprouts?  Do you remember when HomeGoods was previously in the area?

Please share your thoughts below.  

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a waste of trees

Anonymous said...

Ha ha..my same thoughts exactly!

Anonymous said...

Ha Ha..my thoughts Exactly!

Anonymous said...

I'm really surprised by the fact that Best Buy is going to be relocating to a store so close. Maybe they're moving because they're currently the only major tenant in the plaza where they are, but to me that doesn't justify moving literally next door and having to build an entire new store. Now we'll have another space sit vacant until something else comes in.

Also, I'm really surprised by The Fresh Market coming to Scenic Highway. I know that in the organic/natural grocery arena, TFM is one of the pricier stores and I never thought that the Scenic Highway corridor had the right demographics to support such a store. Sprouts, a more moderately priced natural grocery store made much more sense to me, and it fits into Snellville perfectly. However, I am happy Snellville is continuing to attract new retailers to the area. It will be interesting how this all plays out.

Anonymous said...

Interesting. Brand Properties / Maxie Price wanted to put apartments on some of that land. They pitched "high end" apartments, but now use "affordable" housing terminology in their lawsuit!

http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2015/jan/28/brand-properties-sues-snellville-over-apartments/

There is another shopping center slated for across the street with no named retailers or restaurants.

Quite honestly Scenic Hwy can't handle anymore traffic and congestion.

Lived in my home since 1999 but don't remember or ever heard of a HomeGoods in that space. Marshall's and TJMaxx have been in that same center for as long as I can remember though.

Best Buy should be on a death watch. I am suspicious of this move and the apartment angle still not resolved.

vespajet said...

Best Buy isn't known for smart business decisions. The store they opened in Loganville closed several years after it opened.

Anonymous said...

124 is now a shopping mecca and new stores will not add to the congestion. Have you ever been to mall of Georgia, talk about your traffic. 124 is a breeze.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 8:52 pm, you must not live anywhere near the 124 highway corridor. Your reference to it being a shopping Mecca in southern Gwinnett is proof that congestion is already a nightmare.

Anonymous said...

Krispy Kreme and Pollo Tropical were set to build at the corner of Scenic Hwy. & Dogwood Rd. and had recently abandoned that site. Could this be the nearby site, still in Snellville, that they decided to switch to?

dbr30039 said...

Two reasons for the Best Buy relo that I can think of. The article mentions a smaller store, so they save money there. Also, by going into a strip center, they will generate more foot traffic which will lead to increased revenues plus shared expenses As far as CAM fees (common area maintenance). Where they are now, they probably pay 80% of those fees for the center they are in. By being one of several big boxes, those expenses will be lessened.

Anonymous said...

"Where's Loganville?!?!" That's the only thing I remember about Maxie Price Chevrolet commercials.

RayArL said...

I've heard the name 'Maxie Price" for years and have always felt it was resoundingly stupid to remind consumers they would be paying the Maximum Price for a vehicle ...

Anonymous said...

We moved to this area from Knoxville where we were fortunate to have a Fresh Market close by. Totally different from Sprouts.

Anonymous said...

We don't really need another shopping center in that area. But, if one is going to be built anyway, I hope they can find a good Kitchen Store. And please, NO MORE MEXICAN RESTAURANTS!!!

Anonymous said...

There is huge space around the new Hobby Lobby on 124 right up from Shops @ Webb Gin, and a parking lot to rival Hartsfield Latoya Jackson Int'l Airport. Wondering why these can't go in there and save the trees!!! Glad for TFM though! Now I won't have to drive way out to Suwanne for my whole bean roasts!

Anonymous said...

It's absolutely asinine to add another shopping center in that area. The traffic is ALWAYS in a major snarl; no lights are synced. It can take 20 minutes to get from Dogwood to Web Gin House via 124 which is three miles max. While I wouldn't mind a Fresh Market or Whole Foods in our area; this is NOT the place. I do find it ironic that l'il old Sprouts had to come in from Arizona with one of their smaller stores, to convince larger, more local retailers that our area would have the desire for fresh, organic, and bulk foods. As we said in the Army, this is a fustercluck of the highest order!

Melissa said...

No more fast food or chain restaurants! Can't we get something a little more upscale out there??

LSUalum said...

I don't ever remember a Home Goods Store where Bed Bath & Beyond is, but I am thrilled that we are getting one.

Fresh Market is nice, but too bad it isn't a Trader Joe's !!!!

Lynn said...

I have said it since I have been living in Snellville. This will be another Memorial Drive from Stone Mountain down the line. More restaurants, more business mean more crime. Take a tree down you put it somewhere else. don't take away the life of these trees for the birds. you have already killed all the dear around here. what else is going to happen. more wrecks and more crime. Little ATLANTA all over again. said.

Anonymous said...

I'm excited to get a Fresh Market and Home Goods in Snellville! As they are looking for a fast food restaurant, they should put in a Five Guys. Snellville is the only Gwinnett town without one.

Anonymous said...

You are so right! BIG waste of trees!

So glad we're moving out of the traffic congestion that is 124!

Anonymous said...

Just what snellville needs, another traffic jam.

Anonymous said...

So glad to have a Fresh Market.

Anonymous said...

Deer.

Anonymous said...

It's nice that we're getting new businesses in the area, but why are they going to pave-over even MORE of our dwindling flora? (Someone needs to remind city planners of the reason that trees and vegetation are planted alongside major hwys... reduction of stress / rage) And I don't even want to think about the ungodly amount of light pollution that this new shopping center will undoubtedly generate. Good luck stargazing after this is all built.

I just don't see why they keep destroying beautiful land for the sake of "commerce", when there are plenty of suitable locations that already exist, just sitting vacant.

What about the desolate center just a few miles down the road, where Hobby Lobby USED to be? Why is Snellville forcing residents to drive (basically) all the way to L'ville to enjoy these lovely new eyesores instead of filling already built, currently empty stores? Are they planning on just leaving that area as a reminder of how quaint this city used to be before the answer to everything was "just get a new one..."

The city planning committee needs a swift kick in the.... and a trip back to the real world.

Anonymous said...

I actually remember when the old HomeGoods was in the current BBB. It was one of the original anchors at Presidential Market. There was also an MJDesigns where Ross is today and a Zany Brainey where Party City is, which itself was previously at Presidential Commons where Tuesday Morning is today. To really test anyone's Snellville/South Gwinnett retail knowledge - before Party City was at Presidential Commons in what's currently Tuesday Morning, it was at Killian Hill Center at the corner of Killian Hill and Stone Mountain Hwy in what is also currently a...Tuesday Morning! When Party City left for Presidential Commons in the 90s, their Killian Hill store became a Dollar General and was that for many years, then it sat vacant for a few years after Publix closed, before reopening as a Tuesday Morning around the same time the Publix reopened as a Burlington store. Anyone else remember any of this useless knowledge?!

Anonymous said...

Two new strip centers, located right in the middle of all the current gridlock, will only add to the cluster fudge on UnScenic Hwy.

It is very obvious that these families and landowners are selling off as quick as they can and leaving the area to deteriorate. The homeowners that live in this area cannot enjoy having these businesses due to all the outsiders that bombard this shopping corridor on a daily basis.

The tax base in Gwinnett, especially the southern end, is rapidly dwindling so these new national chains "investing" in the area are part of the short business cycle. In 10-15 years these sought after national retailers will move to the where the money is.

I could name many national retailers and restaurants people would want, but what this area really needs is locally owned eateries and shops that will truly invest in and enrich the area.

JonathanCates said...

Trader Joe's missing another opportunity to move into Snellville.
How about a Five Guys? Cookout?
California could send us a Tommy's Burgers or In 'n Out Burger....even a Der Weinerschnitzel.

Anonymous said...

Gander Mountain is coming to Snellville Exchange (Lawrenceville address). Snellville Exchange is the shopping center where Hobby Lobby relocated to.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/City-of-Snellville-GA-City-Hall/118447561441

Anonymous said...

I remember most of the "useless knowledge" in the previous comment; but I was thinking that the old HomeGoods was where Anna's is now. Also, I read that a satellite location of 12 Stone Church is moving into the old K-Mart building. And my vote for a fast food restaurant at the new Scenic Promenade is Bojangles.

Anonymous said...

I also hope we do not have anymore Mexican restaurants! I cannot believe in The Shoppes at Webb Ginn a taco place is going when I thought it was suppose to be a "higher end" center. We are overrun with these eating venues. I would love to see an S&S or some type of southern cooking restaurant open, even a Red Lobster would be welcomed. Just seems to be too many fast food places.

Sheednomics said...

Sprouts is currently in the former Kirklands space in which Kirklands had to move down into
a smaller space on the same plaza. I don't quite remember Home Goods being where Bed Bath & Beyond I do remember Gap, Gap Kids and Baby Gap being where the Panera Bread, Sears, and Fivespot Yogurt is today. Snellville really should spread its new stores towards where the new Hobby Lobby is as well as along closer to the lawrenceville area to ease congestion. Scenic highway after 5pm is a nightmare each day. I believe Best Buy should stay put and maybe a Furniture store like Ashley's, Rooms to Go, or Farmers can take that location. Also a Sports Authority or Dicks can come to Snellville. Carmike is suppose to be coming back to the Hobby Lobby area as well.

Anonymous said...

I rather have trees.

Kroger is across the street.
TJ Max, Ross, and Marshall's have furniture and home accessories.
Scenic Hwy will literally have every shop ever.

Looking for homes in the mountains now...

Anonymous said...

I agree with another comment above - bring in some type of Kitchen Store. Also, a good Burger place and definitely a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.

KathiG said...

Why oh why can't we get a Trader Joe's?

Anonymous said...

YES - TRADER JOE'S!! That's my number 1 request for Snellville. I've also been saying for years that a Chuck E. Cheese would do really well in that area (now that my kids are too old to want to go- ha!). Along those same lines, so would a Toys R Us.

I'd love to see any of these stores - or other recognizable brands - take residence in all the locations being vacated. I also would love to see an ordinance that would prevent any additional retail centers from being developed until at least 95% of what's vacant is filled! New pretty shopping centers won't help the community if what's currently there is left vacant and unattended. Look at 78...

AmeriServ said...

It's great to see continued economic growth throughout Gwinnett County. My family also loves TJ's so we are very excited!

Anonymous said...

Really, PAVE PARADISE AND PUT UP A PARKING LOT. Do something kind for your residents and attract something other than low paying retail jobs. You should all be ashamed of yourselves.

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