|
|
|
|
Copyright
© 2003 Site
designed by
|
 |
Retail center strives to be downtown in suburbia No regional pull in plan BYLINE: ROBERT HADDOCKS; Staff On a recent weekend day, David McEachern and his wife, Elise, grabbed their 6-year-old daughter, Jenna, and made a leisurely shopping trip to the Forum on Peachtree Parkway -- Gwinnett County's latest shopping attraction. But this time, the McEacherns hopped on their bikes and pedaled to their destination. The McEacherns, whose home sits right behind the 580,000-square-foot upscale retail center, are the prototype patrons of the shopping center. The Forum, said Ron Pfohl, managing member of the Forum Development Group, was designed for its immediate neighbors in Gwinnett and north Fulton who want to steer clear of the congested mall areas in Buckhead, Duluth and Buford. Construction is nearly complete on the $70 million project. Barnes & Noble, Old Navy and Belk stores opened within the past month, and about 60 stores, including Pottery Barn, Talbots, Bombay Co. and other specialty shops and restaurants are set to open by the end of April. A grand opening is set for May 2-5. "We're not looking at a regional draw," Pfohl said. "We want to capture people within 15 minutes of this project. This creates a sense of community. The drive time is shorter, and we believe by doing that, it will increase the trips that the shopper makes." The "lifestyle center concept" is a developing trend in the retail center world, Pfohl said. Shoppers can drive right up to the shop of their choice, rather than into a crowded parking lot. The centers also are accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists. "It's downtown in a suburban environment," said Pfohl, who has a center in east Cobb and is building centers in Charlotte and Carlsbad, Calif. "You can get there in 10, 15 minutes, run in, make your purchase and walk to your car. It's just a different experience." The center's European architecture, with its varied brick facades, copper gutters and cobblestones, was designed with its neighbors in mind. Pfohl said many of the upscale communities nearby, like St. Ives and Country Club of the South, have a French flair, and he pulled elements from those. Also attractive to Pfohl was the area's disposable income. The average household income in his 15-minute target area is more than $92,000, and the fastest growing segment earns upward of $150,000, he said. McEachern, who is president of the Amberville Homeowners' Association, said the great majority of residents are pleased and "excited" about the arrival of the Forum. McEachern, a financial planner, doesn't believe the presence of the center will adversely affect property values in the subdivision of 453 homes that cost an average of $500,000, he said. Considering that a retail giant or a truck stop could have plopped down in the neighborhood, McEachern has no problems being next to the new, upscale center. Forum developers first contacted nearby homeowners nearly three years ago, and they haven't deviated from their original plan, McEachern said. Although there was some initial apprehension, most have warmed to the idea, he said. "As the community has seen it, they've gotten more excited seeing that the concept that has come through is just what the Forum said it was going to be," he said. "I think it looks great. It doesn't look like a normal strip center whatsoever. They took a great deal of care to make it look unique, and they should be given credit for that." Richard Tucker, president of the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce, is equally impressed with the retail center. "They're really filling a need that's different than the larger malls," Tucker said. "This is more of a community operation. The developer went to great strides to provide a quality environment. It looks like everything came together at the right time, and I think people will accept it and actually embrace it."
|
