Major Retail and Residential Project Planned for Metro Atlanta Suburb

Oct. 27--A Smyrna plaza that decades ago was the place to shop -- drawing crowds from across the Southeast for a one-of-a-kind experience and occasional celebrity spotting -- is solidifying its more recent, discount-focused reputation with the addition of Wal-Mart.

The 203,000-square-foot store will anchor a redeveloped Belmont Hills residential and retail project, according to a brochure displayed Wednesday by developer Halpern Enterprises at the Southeast Conference of the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Belmont Hills, "one of metropolitan Atlanta's largest and most popular discount shopping centers," now houses Sears Outlet, Rainbow Apparel and Furniture Mall. No information on these tenants was available at the conference, and Halpern's regional director, John W. Brozovic, declined to comment.

In 1954 the plaza was known as the South's largest shopping center, "with 2,500 parking spaces," according to a 2001 Journal-Constitution report on Cobb history. Movie stars and ballplayers were brought in for promotions at retailers like Woolworth, W.T. Grant, A&P, Dunaway Drugs and Butler Shoes.

Soon, though, other plazas sprouted, pulling traffic away from Belmont Hills. Eventually the shopping center took on a different, more discount-centered personality.

The Halpern project, now in the pre-zoning phase, is at Atlanta and Windy Hill roads and will include 500 apartments, more than 200 townhomes and two restaurants. No other details were available Wednesday.

Other news from the conference at Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta:

--Halpern is in the demolition phase of development at Cheshire Square, an Atlanta shopping center that will include a Publix grocery expected to open in May or June.

The plaza's theater, Tara Cinemas, will remain. But restaurant Jitlada's lease will not be renewed after it expires in fall 2008, Brozovic said. Halpern is talking to pet supply stores and other possible tenants for the restaurant's 8,500 square feet.

--Spectrum Realty Advisors is bringing Fresh Market to the Roswell Wieuca Shopping Center. The specialty grocer, which has about five stores in Georgia, will occupy about 22,800 square feet of the 74,709-square-foot development.

Current tenant Ace Hardware will be relocated in the plaza, which will house seven or more other smaller retailers. Renovations are expected to begin in June 2006 and finish up that fall. Fresh Market will open "a little later," said Jonathan D. Barry, president of Spectrum Realty.

--Opus South Corp. is developing a mixed-use project on 148 acres at Lawrenceville Suwanee Road in Suwanee, which will include anchor retail tenants as well as retail in a "Main Street Village," according to the company's brochure.

As part of the project, Opus "plans to construct a new parkway which will join the McGinnis Ferry Extension to Lawrenceville Suwanee Road." The Opus Gateway development -- scheduled for completion sometime between 2007 and 2009 -- will house 450,000 square feet of office space, 500,000 square feet of retail and 500 residential units.

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