Empty Store Fronts Attract New Business

By Nancy Leighton
Over the last few months, empty retail space, especially on Moreland Avenue south of Confederate Avenue, has been filling up with new businesses. At the Village Creek Landing, which is the entrance to Kroger opposite Vickers Street, the space left vacant by Payless Shoes has now been divided into two businesses. T-Mobile has gone in on one side, and a business called USA Postal is on the other side.
Across the street in the 1100 block of Moreland Avenue, just south of the car wash, Little Caesar’s Pizza opened on June 26 in a spot that was the former home for athletic footwear. This puts two major pizza chains, Pizza Hut and Little Caesar’s, within 300 feet of each other.
The next block south on Moreland Avenue is Sunshine Plaza. All the retail spaces there are filled. Many have new bright and shiny signage. The stores there vary from the old IGA grocery store to clothing stores, beauty supply, and a dollar store.
Further down on Moreland at Custer Avenue the Subway Sandwich Shop has been in next to the Wells Fargo Bank for more than a year. Across the street is the old Moreland Plaza Shopping Center. Sometime last year the Value Village moved from their longtime location on the east wing of the shopping center to the south wing where the store selling liquidated hotel and motel furniture used to be. The former Value Village location is now the home of a big new discount store called DD’s.
There is more room along Moreland Avenue for additional businesses, but that would require new construction. On the part of Moreland Avenue running through the East Atlanta Village a company called Community Lending Solutions has opened at 531 Moreland where H&R Block was for a number of years. Work is progressing on the new Buffalo China at 461 Moreland Avenue. Just before the first of the year Hook Fish & Chicken moved into the empty Mrs. Winner’s Building at 403 Moreland.
Elsewhere in the neighborhood retail space in the new Enso building on Bill Kennedy Way is ready, and businesses are starting to move in. New businesses bring money and jobs into the community and convenience to area residents. Only time will tell if these new business signal the beginning of an overall improvement in the economy.