Georgian Republic Cultural Center and Decatur Visitors Center Coming to Clairemont Ave
Decatur Metro | July 13, 2012This is pretty cool.
The new issue of the Decatur Focus reports that the old Emil Baran and DeKalb Musicians Supply spaces on Clairemont Avenue have been purchased by Atlanta Hawks player, Zaza Pachulia, a native of the Republic of Georgia. According to the Focus, Pachulia plans “to house an art gallery and a center that celebrates the art and culture of the Georgian Republic.”
The Decatur Tourism Bureau plans “to finalize a lease on the smaller space to house a “Decatur Visitors Center” and provide office space and a small gallery for the Decatur Arts Alliance.”
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At first glance I thought this post was some sort of April Fools-type joke, Friday the 13th version. A “Georgian Republic Cultural Center”? In Decatur? Not seeing the connection here.
Sounds like something temporary while Zaza either looks for tenants or investors for a restaurant. That’s pure speculation on my part.
I am pretty sure he purchased the building a while ago, and that was the reason DeKalb Music Supply and Emil Baran were forced to relocate (higher rent?). I remember there being “For Lease” signs in the window with a real estate company name that had “Zaza” in it…
You’re right. Pachoulia has owned it for a while. A couple of people in the food biz have looked at it and balked because of the expense of renovating and the perceived parking issues.
At first glance I thought it said Georgia Republican Cultural Center.
And I’ll just leave it at that.
Me too. Trying to giggle such that I do not violate any blog rules.
But I love the idea of Visitor Center and Arts Alliance sharing space. I’ve seen similar arrangements in other towns and they seemed to co-exist nicely.
Will it be named Zaza’s Petals?
Every time a bell rings, a Republican gets its wings.
Yeah, Decatur Visitor’s Center and its leader, Sherry Jackman!
Sherry Jackman is a great asset to the city. It’s great that Angie Macon and the Arts Alliance will be getting a nice upgrade. She’s suffered through the Art Shack long enough.
Given the change at The Atlanta Hawks’ and their new General Manager, will ZaZa be here long?
On another note, I read that headline as “republican” as well at first. After reading a few bloggers comments on that misread it would seem some Decaturites are not as open minded as they would like to think they are….
not that the republicans offer anything new that we haven’t seen before or need an outreach center of civic engagement to open, as it were….still…
I wish it was a Georgian restaurant! One of the most intriguing countries on this side of the Caucasus, well worth a culture center. Architecturally a fascinating mix of Lord of the Rings and Soviet Russia, on the one trip I made. A foreign, foreign language in which you won’t understand a single word or be able to read a single character. There are lots of Georgia connections to the Emory School of Medicine.
Also Georgian connections to Emory Law.