Photo courtesy of James

Remember that story from a few days back about Walmart’s plans to open in Suburban Plaza?  You do?? Excellent.  But, do you remember the follow up where both the developer and Walmart were emphasizing that nothing was confirmed?  OK, good!

Well, here’s another element of the story.

The Clairmont Heights Civic Association blog posts a letter from County Commissioner Jeff Rader who says that both he and Commissioner Kathy Gannon have met with Selig to go over their big-box development plans.  Here’s most of Rader’s email to the CHCA president…

Selig has come in to vet their redevelopment objectives. A big box development is permissible under the existing C-2 zoning, but I got the impression that the space requirements of their desired building program and required parking would eat up a lot of space on their site if conventionally developed, so in order to retain shopping center strip that houses Big Lots, etc., they would like to do an “urban” store with underground parking at the corner of Medlock and N Decatur, where the thrift store and mattress outlet are currently.

This would cost them more than a conventional layout and they are therefore suggesting public financing assistance for underground parking and the renovation of the facade of the remaining shopping center strip.

Commissioner Gannon and I listened without making any pronouncement on the project, and will be interested in what they might propose when next we meet. Any action by us or the Development Authority of DeKalb County to assist them with financing would require a public process, but again, provided they meet the requirements of the current zoning, no discretionary decision is required to build a big box store.

An urban store in Suburban Plaza?  Won’t that rip a hole in the space-time continuum or something?