Target store plans to close

An email from David Stedman, Director of Economic Development with the Evermore CID tells of the Target, located at US78 and West Park Place plans to close. At first, I thought they meant the Target at Scenic Hwy in Snellville, but they meant the one that's technically in Stone Mountain. This email was sent to subscribers to the Evermore CID mailing list.

I wanted to inform our citizens and supporters about the sad and final news about Target. They are definitely leaving. I spoke with Target's regional real estate director on Tuesday and we had a lengthy and candid conversation. The key points are...

• Target fully understands that Hwy 78 construction is completed, our citizens want them to stay and we have exciting plans to revitalize the area.
• They think Evermore is doing the right things for area re-development, but this is "not a game changer" for them.
• Their whole decision is based on a tight analysis of the market in a 3-mile ring surrounding the site.
• They are working to mitigate the inconvenience for pharmacy customers. (He wouldn't elaborate)
• There is no truth to the rumor they have a deal with Costco. He wasn't aware of any discussions.
• They are actively going to market the site and he has put me in touch with their disposition agent.
• They're happy to partner with us on redevelopment and/or marketing the site to economic development prospects.
• Target will NOT let the site deteriorate. He said they would light and maintain the property.

I know this news is unfortunate, but it is not surprising. From the beginning, this has been an uphill struggle. But I want you to know that Evermore, and all of our local governmental representatives, have done everything possible to encourage Target to reverse their decision. We talked to their senior management and we even tried to influence their Board of Directors. I can honestly say there was no stone left unturned.

Now, we must be focused on the future! There is some reason for optimism and hope. Retailers like Wal-Mart, Longhorn and McDonalds have recently invested $750,000 to $1.2 million in upgrading their presence on the corridor. Evermore was awarded two out of the five Tax Allocation Districts (TAD's) and that is a powerful tool for re-development. We have some exciting plans and genuine interest in redevelopment. And, we have already had some potential leads interested in the Target location.

We want to thank everyone for their concern and support. Please subscribe to our newsletters (there's a sign-up link below*) and come to our meetings. We promise to work hard and to keep you fully informed.

Best regards,

David A. Stedman

Director of Economic Development

Evermore Community Improvement District

dstedman@evermorecid.org

*If you would like to sign up for the Evermore CID newsletters by email, click here to visit their website, the sign-up box is on the left side of the page.