Forsyth County is booming with retail. I remember the days when we were excited about the Super Wal-Mart and Home Depot in Central Forsyth County. And just recently the excitement over Best Buy and HomeGoods grand openings. South Forsyth County is no stranger to retail, either. Over 100 acres of land is being cleared off of GA 400 and Hwy 141 for The Avenue Forsyth which will feature an AMC Movie Theater, plus many shops including Ann Taylor Loft and Talbots all within an Open Air Retail environment. But, that is not where it ends for South Forsyth County.
This week at Tuesday's Forsyth County Commission work session, Taubman Centers Inc., which owns and/or manages 23 regional and super-regional shopping centers in 11 states, announced its plans for a major, mixed-use development in South Forsyth County on 163 acres on Union Hill and McGinnis Ferry roads. The plan follows the current zoning for the property.
The centerpiece of this development is an upscale shopping mall with up to 5 anchors. Anchor stores have not yet been announced, but previous history with Taubman suggests stores on the order of Nieman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue could be coming to Forsyth County.
Taubman plans to bring a mix of luxury and fashion retailers to the site, along with office, hotel and residential development, and is asking specifically for a change in the current limit of 5 story structures to allow for 12 story office and residential buildings. Commissioners voted and approved a directive for Forsyth County Planning staff to consider an overlay zoning district specifically for this development. According to the developer, retail sales can be expected to be in the neighborhood of $540 per square foot, adding significant revenues to the Forsyth County tax base.
