‘Lucky City’ growth continues
GLUCKSTADT — Sit-down restaurants and a drive-thru pharmacy could be on the horizon here as a building boom continues and developers continue to invest in the Lucky City.
Multiple site plans paving the way for new retail shopping centers on Gluckstadt Road and Calhoun Station Parkway, and other businesses like Priority One Bank, and Green Steel Manufacturing were approved by aldermen this week.
“Our permits are rolling right along with the city,” Jeff Williamson with the city’s Planning and Zoning Board, said. “I feel certain once these projects we approved hit the ground and take off, our permits will multiply drastically. I’m very optimistic in the permit department.”
The board unanimously voted to approve the ratification of the following site plans:
• New retail center on Gluckstadt Road, developer listed as Bedi Investments.
• Priority One Bank on Calhoun Station Parkway, located just south of Sullivan’s Marketplace.
• Classic Cars Auto Garage on Sowell Road right off Highway 51.
• Germantown Retail Complex on Calhoun Station Parkway. The site will include retail lease space consisting of new development on both sides of the parkway. Owner/developer is R&S Holdings.
Three separate buildings with a very unique style and design.
• Green Steel Manufacturing on 130 American Way, right down the road from City Hall.
• Official site plan for the Magnolia District on Church Road to the east of Old Jackson Road. Businesses include retail and office warehouses.
Rav Bedi, partner & developer Bedi Investments, of the Gluckstadt Road retail center, said there are no confirmed businesses in the center yet, but he would like to see a drive-thru pharmacy and a sit-down restaurant in the future.
"Once we break ground, we'll start deciding what businesses to put in the center," Bedi said. "There's a high demand for restaurant and pharmacy space, as there's a lot of interest in stuff like that."
While the majority of these new sites aren’t currently under lease, there is a thirst from the community for amenities in the county’s newest city.
On an unofficial city Facebook page with nearly 10,000 followers, developers roll out plans and ask for input from residents on businesses they would love to see locate there.
“Oby’s would be wonderful around here,” Natalie Finley commented back in April.
Some are asking for national food franchises such as Papa John’s, Panda Express, McDonald’s and even Cracker Barrel. Others want boutique gift shops similar to Apple Annie’s and Persnickety in Madison.
On Tuesday, the board voted 3-2 to not approve the site plan for Calhoun Park on Calhoun Station Parkway due to issues and concerns for the buildings not being changed along with no new renderings being provided to the board.
“We had a bunch of site plans we took and approved the vast majority of them,” Mayor Walter Morrison said. “It reflects a good deliberative process. Their goal is to make Gluckstadt a beautiful place and they are succeeding in doing that. These plans are going to make people want to move to Gluckstadt and live here.”