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Belk store will anchor Norcross 'village' project BYLINE: Renee DeGross; Staff Belk has signed on as the lead anchor at a new mixed-use shopping village planned in Norcross. Until now, the department store retailer has operated on the fringes of metro Atlanta in places such as Snellville and Fayetteville. The Charlotte-based chain inked a deal to anchor the Forum at Peachtree Parkway, a villagelike shopping center in the closer-in Peachtree Corners area. The company's plans for expansion in metro Atlanta "will be aggressive," said Linda Zwern, chairman of Belk Inc.'s western division. Belk has 210 department stores in the Mid-Atlantic and South regions, including 40 in Georgia. Belk, which sells moderately priced brand-name apparel, accessories and cosmetics, has stepped up its presence this year with two new stores. The chain has 15 area stores and now has more locations than Rich's, which has 12. "This is their first store that will compete with other department stores," said Ron Pfohl, managing member of Forum Development Group, the Smyrna-based company spearheading the Norcross project. Pfohl's partners are Bill Brown and veteran developer Stan Thomas. As for the Forum, Pfohl said construction will start immediately now that Belk and others have signed on. Retailers such as Ann Taylor Loft, Barnes & Noble, Eddie Bauer, Linens 'N Things, Talbots and Spa Sydell will take space in the development, which will have a "main street" look. The Forum is to open next October. Pfohl said that his project took a year longer than expected to get started because the competition for tenants has been tough between his project and CousinsMarketCenters' Avenue North Fulton. Cousins MarketCenters had planned to start construction last summer at Abbotts Bridge and Medlock Bridge roads. Several retailers have signed on. Cousins officials could not be reached for comment. Cumberland Mall to receive a face-lift Cumberland Mall may be a favorite destination for some Cobb County shoppers. But shopper traffic has trailed off some since the opening of Arbor Place mall in neighboring Douglas County last year. Now General Growth Properties, Cumberland Mall's owner, plans a major interior renovation to help attract more specialty retailers of the type in other area shopping malls. Jim Grant, General Growth vice president for development in the Southeast, said Cumberland Mall will get new escalators, lighting, railings, paint and tile. "We're a dated facility," Grant said of the mall at I-285 and Cobb Parkway. "It's true some shoppers are taking their money to Arbor Place. There's overlap at the edges." Shoppers west of Atlanta previously had few shopping malls to choose from until Arbor Place opened last year. Grant said Cumberland Mall is 92 percent leased, but that some leases will expire soon, giving the mall a chance to market the space. There is also room for restaurants, and possibly an office and residential tower on the outskirts of the parking lot. But those plans are longer-term, and Grant said he has to get approvals from mall anchors J.C. Penney, Macy's, Rich's and Sears. Recent area road improvements have helped to keep the flow of residential, office and Cobb Galleria Convention Center traffic moving along. Holiday shoppers need not worry about construction getting in the way. The renovation will start this spring. Circuit City concludes remodeling project Just in time for the holiday rush, Circuit City says it has finished remodeling its area stores after ditching the appliance business last summer. W. Alan McCollough, president and chief executive officer of the Richmond-based retailer, came to town to check out the changes and visit new stores in Conyers and Newnan. Circuit City backed out of the appliance game because Wal-Mart and Home Depot began selling them in the past year, making it tough to grow sales in a sector where Sears and Lowe's already are established. Circuit City's 14 area superstores and four Express locations now carry broader selections of electronic games, cameras and computer accessories. The company's newest stores are a sign of more changes to come at Circuit City: They have shopping carts. McCollough said the next step is to widen aisles in the older locations. That's the focus for 2001, he added.
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