Suburban Plaza Redevelopment Timeline, Other Details Released

suburban plaza plan

The Medlock Area Neighborhood Association website has released a new letter from Scott Selig, which details many of the next steps as Suburban Plaza is redeveloped.  You can read the full letter HERE, but a few of the highlights include (as noted by MANA)…

demolition of parts of existing structures: in the coming weeks (summer 2014)
facade renovations: fall 2014
anticipated redevelopment completion: summer 2015
new tenants open for business: fall 2015

As for physical transportation improvements around the site, Mr. Selig states in the letter that the new traffic signal at the Suburban Plaza entrance on N. Decatur Road has been approved and should be installed “next summer”.  Also the installation of a left turn lane median on Church Street has been approved.  Additionally, “median islands” for Medlock Road and Sycamore Drive has been approved, and they’ve “initiated the process for the 25MPH speed limit for the two streets.”

The MANA site also notes that Selig is inviting community feedback on a Special Land Use Permit for a drive-through Starbucks at Suburban Plaza, and will host a meeting Tuesday, June 24, 7pm, at North Decatur Presbyterian Church (611 Medlock Road).

15 thoughts on “Suburban Plaza Redevelopment Timeline, Other Details Released”


  1. From the Good Growth DeKalb website: “Now, we must come together to get out from under our legal bills, which total approximately $25,000.”

    Good grief!

    1. You’re surprised? Never could figure out where all their money was coming from.

    2. If their lawyers didn’t get their money up front in retainer, they’re the biggest suckers in this whole comedy!

      1. Maybe except for the individual sucker who signed a fee agreement assuming his like-minded neighbors would fork over some cash after they lost.

    1. I haven’t seen an official comment for Suburban Lanes, but Big Lots stated a while back that they plan on staying, which I support. Of course, we’ll see if that changes with everything else going on.

      It’ll also be interesting to see if the proper planning and right of way are preserved by Wal-Mart / the county, etc. for the underground station planned there along the Clifton Corridor, given that that line is a major focus now and that the system is increasingly serious about improvements. As always, we’ll see…

      1. If you were in their shoes, would you preserve the proposed right-of-way? If the transportation bill passed two years ago, it would still be a decade before that station was built. As it stands now, there is no approval, no funding, etc.

  2. Dear Decatur/Emory wannabe Overlords:

    Medlock doesn’t want a train system ruining our neighborhood to funnel OTP types faster to the Clifton corridor.

    Yours truly,

    The people who actually live where you have Big Plans.

    1. I don’t disagree with your concern, but isn’t rail or bus from the perimeter better than the ever increasing surface street traffic as the Clifton Corridor continues to burst at the seams? Or do you propose that the primary traffic access come from the north, i.e. I85, and not east (I285)?

      Assuming we can’t stop the rapid development, what’s a better plan? Truly just curious….no agenda or POV as of yet.

    2. AMB, you forgot the proposed cities of Briarcliff, Lakeside, etc. Also, since the proposed end stations would be Avondale and Lindbergh (both forming transit-oriented development), and everything in between also ITP, there would potentially be a lot of ITP people involved.

      Dawgfan, honestly, it was more of an open ended, we’ll see comment, the approach I often take with developments like this, especially since we won’t have any control over it anyway. Yes, I support well-planned mass transit as another option and it’s nice to see the Marta becoming more serious about efficiency and utilization under Keither Parker, but the county is obviously another story. Were I in the Wal-Mart / development group, knowing what had been proposed on my land, I would hold a joint meeting with the different parties now, ascertain their interest and commitment, and go from there.

  3. Emory had the option to relocate the hospital off of Clifton Road and onto property it owns at Executive Park. It chose not to.
    My road proposal is to create a major spur off of Clairmont Road through the Emory property to Clifton. That will never happen.
    Emory, CDC etc would rather disrupt neighboring areas than change their plans for expansion.

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