Popular Buckhead boutique "moving on."
Beth Ann Taratoot, a popular model in Atlanta in the 70s and 80s who opened her eponymous boutique in Buckhead in 1980, is "moving on." Beth Ann, the boutique Taratoot first opened on East Andrews in 1980 and later moved to its current home at 47 Irby Avenue in 1998, will be closing later this spring. Taratoot, always the optimist, envisions taking at least some of her offerings, likely her proprietary cosmetics line and "Collect by Beth Ann," online via a yet-to-be-finalized ecommerce offering.
Currently all in stock merchandise at Beth Ann (excluding cosmetics) is 30% off, and all of the furniture and fixtures are also for sale.
Taratoot, a 25+ year resident of 2520 Peachtree Road, a lowrise condominium building, recently moved to north Buckhead following the building's sale to JPX Works, LLC. Headed by Jarel Portman, the property will soon be demolished and replaced with a super modern 22-story highrise.
In more ways than one, Taratoot and Desiree Osmon, owner of neighboring Sabot, feel squeezed out of the neighborhood they have called home for decades.
Taratoot's decision to close her store (likely to close permanently not later than May) comes at a time when her store's home in the Buckhead Village, once a quaint setting for local shops, is being completely transformed by vertical development. Beth Ann's closure comes on the heels of that of neighbor Razzle Dazzle, another boutique, which closed this past January after over 40 years in business.
Beth Ann's space and many properties nearby have been purchased by Columbia, South Carolina-based Edens. While the real estate firm is keeping many current tenants in the dark with regard to their plans, it is understood that the firm intends to significantly increase the rents of most, if not all, tenants in the near future. A redevelopment is reportedly in the works, but it remains unclear what the project may look like.
Interestingly, according to the Edens website, they are "Devoted to Local Neighborhoods."
"Today’s society is too fast-paced. We’ve lost that central sense of place, that sense of community typified by the old town square. We’ve lost places where people can slow down.
We’re out to reclaim and rebuild places that give our communities gathering places where people can slow down in a convenient, safe, and vibrant atmosphere. Here, people can do more than shop. Our centers are friendly, stress free environments with a strategic mix of shopping, dining, and gathering spaces that’s just right for their communities. These are places where people can have real, face-to-face time with neighbors.
We understand our responsibility to help build and support the communities we serve. By creating engaging, spirited retail centers, we’re helping people forge strong community connections in places where life happens."
This past week, Range Boutique and Brina Beads, two businesses operated by Sabrina Davis which had been on Cains Hill Place for the past thirteen years, relocated. The boutique moved to Buckhead Court on Roswell Road where dtox, a juice bar also previously in the Buckhead Village, had also recently relocated.
Kathryn's Boutique, another Buckhead Village mainstay, closed at the end of last year after having what it called a "Retirement Sale."
It's sad to see the once quiet Buckhead Village being replaced with unbridled new vertical development.
What are your thoughts on the massive developments under construction and planned for the Buckhead Village? Will you miss Beth Ann and the other independent boutiques? What would you like to see open next in the Buckhead Village?
Please share your thoughts below
3 comments:
There are plenty of places for local boutiques to relocate in Atlanta. The midtown mile, while not housed in older small-scale buildings like the BV buildings are, would be happy to have a concentration of local boutiques. As would new retail in and around Westside Provisions, VaHi, Decatur, or PCM. The only constant is change...Buckhead real estate is too valuable for small cinderblock buildings with surface parking.
I do hope new development in the area will work favorably with current and past local boutiques as well as those that want to open in the future and help them remain viable businesses.
Does anyone know what the future has in store for Kramers/Red Door/5 Paces/ Park Bench? It seems those places - that barely survived the 'closure of buckhead' back in the early 2000's are about to be gone for good since East Andrews complex and these other spots have closed.
Especially surprising since 'Big Sky' just opened last year and the new bar below Churchill's just opened this past fall...
I am just glad I do not live in Atlanta any more. Beth Ann's was one of the reason I still went back. Developers just don't get it. It is uniqueness and charm that create interest. But I will say this is generally what happens to those charming places. They call it progress. Unless there is a very strong developement committee that does not think bigger and newer is better, this is what happens. Farewell Atlanta and Beth Ann's.
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