Edged Out? Business Owners Accepting of What Comes With New Downtown
Are you concerned about the fate of longtime businesses as Sandy Springs develops downtown? Take our poll and tell us in the comments.
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David Darondi does not advertise his House of Oriental Rugs business. He says repeat customers and general traffic at the corner of Roswell Road and Mount Vernon Highway account for most of his business, since he opened in 1989.
Sooner or later, Darondi expects development in downtown Sandy Springs will cause him to close.
City master plans include a green space on a triangle at Mount Vernon Highway and Johnson Ferry Road near Roswell Road. The plans are in a conceptual stage, said assistant city manager Bryant Poole, during a City Center open house, last week.
A formal recommendation of the downtown master plan is expected to be presented to City Council in December.
Although he plans to sign a new lease soon, an easygoing Darondi said, “I accept what comes,” adding that the proposed green space may be just the nudge he needs to retire.
Are you concerned about the fate of longtime businesses as Sandy Springs develops downtown? Take our poll below and tell us in the comments.
If not a city green space, what comes could be a mid-rise building. Business owners said their landlord Orkin and Associates has had an interest in putting a building on the triangle. Patch has left phone messages with Orkin and the company’s property manager.
“We’ve already been told that once our lease is up, we’ve got to go,” said Glen Banham, who owns Mr. Mattress Factory Outlet. He opened his business on the triangle 12 years ago.
Banham said he would move to another Sandy Springs location.
“I like Sandy Springs. This is a really good location, but it is what it is. If the city wants your property obviously they will take it,” said Barnham. He has two years left on his lease.
Eddie Mobley, has operated Eddie’s Automotive since 1971. Last week he told Patch that he expects any redevelopment to be five to seven years away. He was advised that if it happens sooner, the city may have to buy out his lease and possibly move him to a new location, he said.
Like Darondi, Mobley said he would likely be ready to retire if redevelopment comes in five to seven years.
Scott Ennis
9:46 am on Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Established businesses should have a choice if thry want to move..The SS government should design around these locations..they were there long before SS became a city
Scott Ennis
I Love Sandy Springs
11:23 pm on Wednesday, November 21, 2012
It is a tough call. I would prefer for the land owners on Roswell Road that have the older buildings with old parking lots and a curb cut to "cash in" and sell to make our young city actually appear to be young. If a business is successful, they can move, it happens every day. If the business is teetering because of the economy, then there isn't a whole lot the city can do to prevent them from failing anyway.
I do not want the city to take the land using eminent domain, but I think that if you have one piece of the puzzle missing because of a stubborn hold out, then let consumers decide if they really want to do business with someone who doesn't want our wonderful city to progress.
If we are going to attract young families in a manner similar to Brookhaven or Smyrna, then we better look at how they have modernized their communities. Those high earning, dual income families will keep Sandy Springs viable for another generation.
john gilkenson
1:53 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Hmm.high income dual income earners...maybe we need a country club there in downtown....or how bout an opera house....lets really get progressive here.
I Love Sandy Springs
12:26 am on Friday, December 21, 2012
John,
Whether you like it or not, the proximity to Central Perimeter business district (most buoyant office market in Atlanta), Pill Hill (employes thousands of MD's and other highly skilled professionals), and Buckhead also adjacent will attract those higher earners. The appeal of sitting in really big and comfortable cars for over an hour to commute to work has fallen as gas prices went above $3.00 per gallon. Unless you think we will get cheap gas again, Sandy Springs will be very hot among those who do not want a long commute.
I chose Sandy Springs because it has income diversity, but I also knew that the high tax base will allow the new city to support itself.
I know that you were joking about the opera house, but doesn't our neighbors in Cobb County host the Atlanta Opera? Well, we have the Punchline, the birthplace of Jeff Foxworthy's career, which is more appealing to this dual income family in Sandy Springs.
Donna Stogner
10:54 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013
I am disgusted by the use of Eminent Domain in demolishing strong viable businesses owned by good, law abiding, tax paying people, particularly those that have been in Sandy Springs for many years. Eminent Domain should NOT be used for economic development purposes.
JamesMichael
4:25 am on Saturday, March 9, 2013
For what purpose should Eminent Domain be used?