Sembler, the St. Petersburg, Florida-based company behind such local projects as the Edgewood Retail District, Perimeter Place and Canton Marketplace is threatening to abandon its TOWN Brookhaven development if it does not get $51 million in tax breaks. Located on Peachtree Road adjacent to Georgia State's Brookhaven campus and Oglethorpe University and just a few miles north of Lenox Square mall, it has a prime location but apparently Sembler does not have the funds necessary to finish it. Truth is, Sembler and DeKalb County should be thanking the residents of North Druid Hills for mobilizing against their planned TOWN Briarcliff, a development that would have been more than twice the size of TOWN Brookhaven. Had that project also begun, the county might be looking at another huge expanse of dirt and perhaps Sembler’s hand out for another $100 million or so. Unfortunately for Brookhaven residents, the damage there has been done; hundreds of trees have been cut down and the project already underway. To stop now would have as bad, if not more of a negative impact on the neighborhood, than if it had been stopped before construction began. What's your opinion on the situation? Repeat Atlanta!
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This is absolutely ridiculous. The county needs to hand over the cash to get this project done!
ReplyDeleteUgh - I want to say this serves Sembler right, but I also don't want an unfinished blight of a project.
ReplyDeleteI wish Sembler would take the next ticket back to St. Petersburg and not turn another shovel in Atlanta. ESPECIALLY the terrible suburban project they had planned for Home Park/Atlantic Station.
This part of the Peachtree corridor needs the project finished and open for business. The retail would provide great convenience to residents up and down Peachtree. If left unfinished, what a blow to what would have been great redevelopment of Brookhaven's redevelopment. Will the Dresden Rd. retail/living development be in jeopardy as well??
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree, Jonathan! Him Sembler out of atlanta... go back to st. petersburg, please! His developments are a blight on the city, in my opinion... yes, it brings in stores and jobs but that is ALL done though cars and CHAIN retail, etc... i guess its better than strip malls, but i do not like all of these developments in our city. And, I agree again, Jonathan-ESPECIALLY the one in home park... a location with such potential.
ReplyDeleteNOTE TO ADMINISTRATOR:
ReplyDeleteThe possible failure of Sembler's Town Brookhavn project is covered in dekalbschoolwatch.blogspot.com (you might have to scroll down to get to that story). Lots of good info and interesting comments - you might want to consider providing a link.
There is absolutely no way this project will be "left unfinished". If Sembler can't finish it on their own, another developer will pick up the pieces and run with it as soon as the economy improves.
ReplyDelete"Hand over the cash?" Why should DeKalb County give someone $50,000,000 (!) who failed to do proper due diligence and financial planning? In a free-market economy, not all ventures are guaranteed to be successful.
I agree with Jonathan that Sembler should hightail it back to Florida
and stay there.
First off, you guys do a great job with this blog. As an Atlantan I find it the best source of retail news happenings. Keep it up! The Town Brookhaven thing will be a great thing for North Buckhead/Brookhaven/Chamblee/Dunwoody. Hopefully Sembler can make it happen. Wasn't there once a mention of it being filled with all local businesses ie Flying Biscuit-type places. Are they still building?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the praise on the blog, good to hear its useful. As for the local tenants, last I heard The Flying Biscuit had pulled out as well as Gary Mennie's planned eatery. San Fran Coffee Co was up in the air...
ReplyDeleteIs Macys still setting-up shoppe here? This was supposed to be the smaller version of the store with the revived Richs moniker.
ReplyDeleteI was never aware of a Macy's concept store being planned for this development, furthermore, I see it highly unlikely Macy's (Federated) would revive the Rich's name.
ReplyDeleteNo one that I spoke has ever thought this development was a good idea. Now that the bubble has burst we were all proved right....oh yeah we desperately need the shopping..Phipps and Lenoz are nearly 3 miles a way..and what do they have? and Kroger and Publix ...the closest one is 2 miles...yep..we need more shopping...The fact that Sembler is crying out of cash is a classic developer move when you get in a tight spot cry poor me and the project will be left unfinished. Well guess what...even though they tore down the only decent low income housing around for miles and they clear cut 30 acres of 100 year old trees..... we still have some wide open green space. I have a better idea why not turn it into a park? No retailer is coming in...didnt you folks get the email???? The bubble has burst....the county will NEVER hand over the cash to Sembler if they have an iota of intelligence or an ounce of decency left in them
ReplyDeleteI am sad that I won't be able to count on this website for up to date happenings in the metro area, as I now see that it only plays into gossip and drama.
ReplyDeleteIt would have been absolutely absurd for Sembler to put up his TOWN on Briarcliff. I grew up down the street from the prospective area, and I'm positive it would have been a detriment to the community, even before knowing that the money has run dry.
ReplyDelete