Here we go again…
An awesome, kick-@$$, super fun, exciting, incredible, memory-making, exceptional thing is coming to Newnan and everyone is pretending to be upset before they spend $300 on it the first chance they get.
Spare me the rod. Spoil me the child. Or whatever the Bible says about disciplining complainers.
OK. I’ll slow down. What are we even talking about? If all things go as planned:
The Georgia Outlets Newnan, a 60+ acre property, is set to be built on the opposite side of 85 from Piedmont Newnan, which opened a new 217 bed hospital in 2012. The property is also about three miles from Ashley Park, a large mixed-use lifestyle center. The project opened in 2006 and was followed by a second phase, with a third phase currently under construction by original developer Stan Thomas. Despite the struggles Ben Carter Enterprises had in getting their ambitious Buckhead Village development off the ground, the firm has successfully developed or partnered in the development of several successful projects around Georgia and the southeast. According to planning materials, the Newnan outlet center is described as a “600,000 square-foot, mixed-use development project, encompassing lifestyle entertainment and outlet development and featuring best-in-class restaurants, shops and entertainment.” The outlet mall will include more than 430,000 square feet of retail space plus an 80,000 square foot “anchor tenant” and a 50,000 square foot anchor property that looks a lot like a Topgolf. The project will also include roughly 2,800 surface level parking spaces.
None of that is to say it’s a definite. There are still hundreds of things that can go wrong and ruin the would-be-best-thing-ever. First of which, we just might be overreacting and none of it will happen anyway! According to the shadow figure known as Newnan Coweta Scanner Traffic, it might be just that:
So I’m sure everyone has seen this already but I wanted to add some context.
While the company has released its plans for the site – they haven’t actually ( according to the county’s public records today ) submitted any of these plans for review or approval.
The 63 acre property that the plans are slighted for is ( according to tax records as of today ) owned by a company called Big Poplar, LLC. There’s also a Big Poplar II, LLC that owns other properties around the county.
Big Poplar, LLC was registered in 2011. The registered agent for both is Duke C Blackburn, Jr.
While readily available tax information regarding the property only shows a date going back to 1991, the property stems from the estate of Duke C. Blackburn, who seems to have passed in 1989 ( at least that’s when his will was entered with the Probate Court ). While I can’t easily confirm the total length of time Mr. Blackburn owned the properties before his passing, I feel it safe to assume he’d had it for a while, and from what I can tell his family has held onto it for quite some time as well.
Outside of Big Poplar LLC’s the family, through things like a Trust, also own other property as well.
The last thing I can find regarding the parcel in question for the retail development is that Big Poplar II, LLC requested, and received, a Zoning Certification for the parcel in April of this year. From my research, a Zoning certification is just a letter from the County certifying the current Zoning of the parcel and would be something you’d want if you were in talks to sell the parcel to a developer.
All this is to say that as of right now these are merely plans that have not been submitted, or approved, by the County.
There is still time for your opinion to be heard in its proper venue as the process continues.
This proposed development is the latest in a string of proposed growth for the area, and I hope will become the impetus for a conversation that needs to be had about the future of Coweta County and the reality of development.
I’ll be adding my two cents in the coming days.
The comment sections all over Facebook tell the same tale: we mad, we don’t want more people and traffic, we pretending like we won’t break our bank there, we fake, we aggressive, we B-E aggressive, B-E-A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E (cheerleading joke).
I’m not fooled. I say give it a chance and see what birds flock to the feeder. I am a firm believer that if no one wants something here, it’ll go out of business… still looking at you, Sprayberry…
Newnan Time with Harold 