Our friends a few miles to the west(city limits of both cities touch at I-65) are starting to get in on the retail
boom action...
By Martin Burkey
DAILY Staff Writer
mburkey@decaturdaily.com ยท 340-2441
Target, Old Navy, Linens'N Things, PetsMart, Chili's Grill and Bar and Longhorn Steakhouse are some of the stores and restaurants tentatively slated for the Decatur Exchange shopping center, which the City Council set in motion Monday.
John Graham of Atlanta developer Tricore Partners said he hopes to finalize agreements with those stores and others he couldn't name, now that he has a $4.75 million package of incentives from the council.
On Monday, the council voted 4-0 to borrow money for site improvements, roadwork, utilities and more to lure the development to Decatur.
Graham said he hopes to begin work late this year on the 26-acre site at U.S. 31 and Alabama 67, and open it for business in October 2006. The list of prospective businesses also includes Rack Room Shoes, Panera Bread Co. and Books-A-Million. The agreement between the developer and the city also refers to Academy Sports as another possibility.
Graham told the council that the center represents a redevelopment of a major gateway to the city that will bring revenue and jobs, and likely will stimulate spinoff development around it at an intersection traveled by more than 30,000 cars daily. Tricore is interested in additional land around the current development, he said.