Wednesday, July 18, 2018

InLine Communities Proposing Large Mixed Use Development on Powers Ferry Road

InLine Communities LLC is proposing an 8.8 acre, $110 million mixed-use development along Powers Ferry Road, not far from the Wildwood Office Park and SunTrust Park in Cobb County.  The development, which would include restaurant, retail and multi-family housing, would be replacing multiple properties, most of which are vacant, but at least one of which is occupied, along Powers Ferry Road at Windy Ridge Parkway.

Included in the development are 1927, 1931, 1935 and 1945 Powers Ferry Road.  Collectively, the properties are all former chain restaurants that have either become local concepts or remained closed and vacant. 


1927 Powers Ferry Road was formerly Sal Grosso, a Brazilian steakhouse, but is today vacant. 

1931 Powers Ferry Road operates today as Rose & Crown Tavern and opened in 2010 in a former La Madeleine French Bakery & Cafe.
1935 Powers Ferry Road was formerly Famous Dave's barbecue restaurant which sits vacant today
1945 Powers Ferry Road was previously a TGI Friday's which today sits vacant.

The complete InLine proposal can be found here.  

A new RaceTrac gas station and convenience store was proposed on the site of the former TGI Friday's restaurant in 2012, but by 2013 the plan had been abandoned amidst stiff community resistance. 

Last summer, Westplan Investors submitted plans to the City of Smyrna for a nearly identically sized development on Spring Road near Cobb Parkway.  The development, which measures 8.7 acres, would have replaced a largely vacant strip center and a low-rise office park with 310 multi-family units, a 200 room, six story hotel, 65,000 square feet of office space, 11,000 square feet of retail space, and a 692 space parking garage.  The Smyrna planning commission recommended denial of the project this past April and sources indicate that Westplan intends to resubmit with a revised siteplan in the coming months. 

Cobb Commissioners voted in May to approve a planned nearly 24 acre, $120 million development on Powers Ferry Road and Terrell Mill Road on the site of the current Brumby Elementary and other surrounding properties.  The Connolly Properties and Eden Rock real estate partners development is expected to include a large format Kroger store, a self-storage facility, "luxury" apartments and assorted restaurants and retailers.  Commissioners voted in May to provide Kroger with ten years of tax abatement.  At least two commissioners and some neighbors were not happy with what commissioner Hallacy called a dangerous precedent in granting Kroger the abatement.   

The InLine proposal will be reviewed by the Cobb County Planning Commission August 7, and by the Cobb County Board of Commissioners on August 21.   The development, as proposed, would include 290 multi-family apartments and 181 age-restricted, senior-living units, to be developed by Greystar. 

The filing does not suggest that InLine has sought any tax abatement yet.    

Rose & Crown Tavern will reportedly be part of the future project. The next iteration of the restaurant will be 6,000 square feet, about 50% bigger than the current restaurant.  Owner Miguel Ayoub plans to open a second, as yet undisclosed restaurant concept, which would be about 4,000 square feet, adjacent to the updated Rose & Crown.

What are your thoughts on the proposed redevelopment?  Do you think the proposal makes sense for the area?  Should the commissioners have approved the RaceTrac?

Please share your thoughts below.  

2 comments:

Brad Sappenfield said...

I've always wondered why the restaurants did not do well in this area. So many offices and so much traffic. I remember when the Famous Dave's was originally The Cooker. My sister and I both worked there!

Anonymous said...

I remember when Famous Dave's first opened - you couldn't get into the place at lunchtime. Then the portions started shrinking and the service fell off and so goes the business. Thanks for mentioning the Cooker - I couldn't remember what it was before!

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