The Jonquil Village Waiting Game

Jonquil Village is inching closer to getting under contract.

A week after attorney Ted Sandler, who represents the owners of the 14-acre property located at the corner of Atlanta and Spring Roads in Smyrna, said six offers were on the table for the property, he told Patch Friday that number has been cut in half.

‘We’ve short-listed the group down to three,’’ said Sandler, who represents owners Todd and Cheri Maxwell of Lakeland, Fla. “We’re reviewing it now and we anticipate making a decision (this coming) week. It could be setting up a meeting with one or two if it’s not clear cut. Or it could be going with one and start moving very quickly to a contract.’’

Sandler said that two of the three developers have had conversations with Publix, and that overall a grocery store was still a strong bet to anchor the property.

“That will be one of the topics of conversation that will determine who we will go with,’’ Sandler said. “I’ve talked with the mayor, the city manager and the city attorney. We want to work with them that whoever we elect to sell the property to will be somebody that has a good working relationship with the city.’’

The Jonquil Village property extends northward along Atlanta Road from Spring Road across from the CVS Pharmacy. 

With no grocery store in operation along Atlanta Road from the Marietta Square to inside I-285, city residents have eagerly awaited an official announcement that a long rumored Publix will be built at Jonquil.

The $185 million mixed-use project was originally to include 30,000 square feet of office space, 160,00 square feet of retail space along with 300 condominiums and 1,300 deck and surface parking spots. The project was originally supposed to open in spring 2009