Jonquil Village Still On Course
Site plans call for a Publix at the mixed-use development and a zoning application was submitted by Branch Properties to the the city of Smyrna last week.
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Plans for a retail and residential mixed-use development at the long dormant Jonquil Village shopping center property are still moving forward.
That’s what Ted Sandler, the attorney for the current Jonquil Village property owners Todd and Cheri Maxwell, confirmed to Patch on Tuesday.
“The contract is still alive…things are moving along,’’ said Sandler.
Atlanta-based Branch Properties, LLC, which owns two other mixed use development properties in the Smyrna-Vinings area (West Village and Ashbrook Crossing), submitted a zoning application with the city of Smyrna last week as the initial 45-day inspection period came to a close.
Representatives from Branch could not be reached for comment, but Sandler confirmed that the site plans include a Publix grocery store anchoring the mixed-use development that will include retail and residential components.
“I’m very optimistic about this,’’ said Smyrna Councilwoman Teri Anulewicz, who represents Ward 3 where the Jonquil Village property resides. “I have a completely different feeling with the conversations we’ve had with Branch than I’ve had with anyone else that we’ve had conversations with over the past four years.”
Located at Atlanta and Spring Roads, the original plans for the roughly 14 acres was for a $181 million mixed-use project including 300 luxury condominiums, 160,000 square feet of retail space and 20,000 square feet of office space. But that was back in 2006 and with the downturn in the economy, the new plans will be of a much smaller scale.
There will be a down zoning process and it is possible that in early 2012 a zoning request with a possible amendment(s) could go before the Smyrna City Council. One small issue that needs to be addressed concerns a small parcel that is less than an acre that involves a lender.
Still, Sandler remained very optimistic and remarked of the city of Smyrna’s desire to erect a monument sign on the property indicating an entrance into downtown Smyrna.
L. Davis
5:22 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
They say patience is a virtue. I'm glad to hear that the development is moving along.
Brian
11:31 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
What about the parking deck? Is it still on? It'd be nice if they kept it so they would have less of the land taken up for parking. That's all about smart growth and becoming a charming small city village community versus a suburban stop on the way home from work. If it's too costly at first to keep the parking deck and fully develop the land, they could put in the publix, parking deck and some of the mixed use and shopping as phase 1 to cut costs, then do a phase 2 later so they aren't taking on so much risk at one time. The parking deck would also allow for a nice entrance from Spring Rd.
Hunt Archbold
11:37 pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Hello, I have not seen any site plans, so I don't know about the parking deck. Somewhere I heard that the deck would not be a part of the plans, but that's just something I heard and by no means an established fact.
Brian
11:32 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Update: The good news is that I just grabbed the site plan from Community Development and the underground parking is still there (for the apartments). Although density has been decreased and the residential separated a little from shops, it's still a bit better land use than we are used to in Smyrna.
See my new comment below and attached site plan for more information.
Mike
1:42 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
From my understanding the original developer planned a larger underground parking deck, you can see the foundation and pillars unfinished at the site. This was then going to be filled in and not used with previous developer proposals. I am not sure if I read the new plan including underground parking but I think they are going to have to with a Publix. New developments with limited space seem to include it like the new Publix in Brookhaven.
Janet Peck
8:39 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
I am sorry to hear that Public is still part of the plan We have 2Publix stores & new super Kroger coming soon. We need an alternative like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. We do not need another Publix.
Brian
11:38 pm on Saturday, December 10, 2011
Trader Joe's is already planned for Riverwood II in Cumberland
Helen Wilgus
9:41 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
As a resident of Williams park, I welcome ANY grocery store. The convenience will be fabulous.
Skiime
1:55 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Those of us in Williams Park are very happy there will be a new Publix. A Trader Joe's or Whole Foods would be much better suited for the Belmont Hills project.
Brian
11:38 pm on Saturday, December 10, 2011
Trader Joe's is already planned for Riverwood II in Cumberland
Brian
11:37 pm on Saturday, December 10, 2011
As I have already mentioned multiple times on various forums to people, Trader Joe's is ALREADY planned at Riverwood II in Cumberland. That's a much more appropriate place to tap the entire market. :-)
Rick
8:30 am on Monday, December 12, 2011
What is Riverwood II in Cumberland? Do you have any more information about it?
Brian
11:28 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Rick: Riverwood 200 at Cumberland is the stalled development at the intersection of Cumberland Blvd and Cobb Parkway in the Cumberland/Vinings area. You can see a plackard at the intersection showing the planned development. A rendering can be viewed here: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/97/Riverwood-building.jpg
Brian
11:22 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
I went to Community Development and got more information: It will have a small park in the corner where the city can put a monument, accessible from the new trail extension. It will still have the underground parking and detention pond, below what will be apartments instead of condos. The shopping will no longer have integrated housing. It will have a dedicated entrance on Spring Rd for the apartments, along with another on Spring Rd and two on Atlanta Rd (one across from CVS and one leading into Church St). It will also have three small outlot buildings along Atlanta Rd, two of which will be 5,000 sq feet and another 2500 sq feet. I don't know what the outlot buildings will be planned to be, but I think we should push for them not to be GC type development (it should only be office, retail, or residential)
I also attached a scan of the new site plan.
It's a shame that the shops won't have a few main-street style condos above them like at Market Village. Part of the amendment request is not to require express mayor and council permission to build 1-use buildings. I think it's a bit of a stretch of the intent of MU designation to split up the development types between buildings. It'd be nice if it were more integrated.
However, beggers can't be choosers. At least it's not going to remain vacant anymore and at least the underground parking and Publix are still there, so it's still better land use than most of the city.
Mike
12:22 am on Friday, December 23, 2011
Thanks Brian!!!
Hunt Archbold
8:47 am on Friday, December 23, 2011
Thanks for the info, Brian. I featured the site plans for others to see.