The 10-acre site which was Lou Sobh Ford at 1665 Scott Blvd. in Decatur is currently under contract to Concordia Properties LLC in Roswell, which plans to develop a 300,000-square-foot shopping center on the site, according to the developer's site plans.
DeKalb County's zoning on the site, commercial redevelopment corridor, allows retail, office, condominium, townhouses, industrial and mixed-use development, according to county planning officials. Jim Cunningham, vice president of Lou Sobh Automotive, said the former Ford dealership, which closed Dec. 28, is under contract, and that the area "is going through an urban transition and becoming more dense."
The dealership land now has a higher and better use, he said. "The value of the land has matured beyond the return for a car dealership," Cunningham said. Car dealerships in Atlanta would face the same struggle, he said. "You can't afford downtown Atlanta land, at 5 to 6 acres, for a car dealership. The cost of the land is enormous. I think you are seeing that in Decatur, too."
A developer is also looking into redeveloping the old Cub Foods site on L'ville Hwy. No details at this time.
More info:
http://airbornecombatengineer.typepad.com/in_decatur/2008/03/shopping-ce...
Atlanta Bizjournals
