Roswell retail: What is wrong with the Holcomb Bridge Rd corridor?? (Atlanta: real estate, apartments)

[bravomey]

I visited Downtown Roswell last weekend and was very impressed by the liveliness, sprawling yet walkable layout, and local flavor, especially for an OTP area. Roswell Mill and the Chattahoochee River boardwalk are equally attractive destinations. Couple this with all the beautiful, multi-million dollar houses along the Chattahoochee and large neighborhoods throughout Roswell... and it seems like a very desirable place to live.

HOWEVER, one of the biggest issues I have noticed with Roswell has been the incredible lack of retail and in general the deterioration along Holcomb Bridge Rd, seemingly the city's main commercial artery.

As you drive east down Holcomb Br/Hwy 140, crossing over Hwy 9 headed towards GA-400, the difference becomes very noticeable. Very old retail centers with small businesses and vacant strip malls flanked by aging chain restaurants like an old school Red Lobster/Olive Garden. Several surrounding condominiums and garden-style apartments appear to be rundown and in need of renovation.

Then on the other side of GA-400, it gets even weirder. Heading east towards Norcross/Peachtree Corners, the area has high visibility to commuters and is always packed in with heavy congestion. Yet many of the properties immediately off the road seem like complete ghost towns. There are some very large lots that are completely empty with vacant anchor spaces. For example, I drove by the abandoned Studio Movie Grill and found out this closed very recently (within the past year). I also read about several big box retailers shuttering along Holcomb Bridge including Target (!!) and Kohl's in recent years.

Overall, when I drive through this area I am not getting a very favorable impression. The area seems to be trending in the wrong direction, with high retail vacancies and aging multifamily making the area seem rundown and unsafe.

Though, what puzzles me the most about this is -- how can it be happening in Roswell?!

How can a city as large (population ~100k) and affluent as Roswell not support at least some form of shopping and entertainment in big box retail, apparel, movie theaters, sporting goods, or upscale restaurants? There are such a large number of single family neighborhoods and country clubs (Country Club of South, Rivermont, Martin's Landings) that are directly off of or connected to Holcomb Bridge Rd.

Yet there is also a glut of older rental properties/workforce housing... seems like an odd development mix on the residential side.

Does anyone know where Roswell residents do their shopping? Because there is absolutely NOTHING besides local shops in the downtown area, and the westside of Roswell is all neighborhoods.

This area seems like it would have a ton of potential from a commercial real estate perspective. Great highway accessibility, high daily vehicle count, and strong demographic support. I am curious if anyone has insight into what's driving the demise of the area and why retail does so poorly in Roswell. Thank you for your replies.

[wasel]

You forgot Horseshoe Bend and Ellard, both of which are upscale.
The area is a puzzle for sure, yet it manages to support 2 Krogers down the street from one another.


There has been a rezoning of a large swath of acreage along Holcomb Bridge to pave the way for a new mixed use development.



One contributor to the area stagnating is it's proximity to the North Point shopping area via back roads. There is also a pocket of busy retail off nearby Old Alabama/Nesbit Ferry anchored by a Fresh Market.

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by bravomey

I visited Downtown Roswell last weekend and was very impressed by the liveliness, sprawling yet walkable layout, and local flavor, especially for an OTP area. Roswell Mill and the Chattahoochee River boardwalk are equally attractive destinations. Couple this with all the beautiful, multi-million dollar houses along the Chattahoochee and large neighborhoods throughout Roswell... and it seems like a very desirable place to live.

HOWEVER, one of the biggest issues I have noticed with Roswell has been the incredible lack of retail and in general the deterioration along Holcomb Bridge Rd, seemingly the city's main commercial artery.

As you drive east down Holcomb Br/Hwy 140, crossing over Hwy 9 headed towards GA-400, the difference becomes very noticeable. Very old retail centers with small businesses and vacant strip malls flanked by aging chain restaurants like an old school Red Lobster/Olive Garden. Several surrounding condominiums and garden-style apartments appear to be rundown and in need of renovation.

Then on the other side of GA-400, it gets even weirder. Heading east towards Norcross/Peachtree Corners, the area has high visibility to commuters and is always packed in with heavy congestion. Yet many of the properties immediately off the road seem like complete ghost towns. There are some very large lots that are completely empty with vacant anchor spaces. For example, I drove by the abandoned Studio Movie Grill and found out this closed very recently (within the past year). I also read about several big box retailers shuttering along Holcomb Bridge including Target (!!) and Kohl's in recent years.

Overall, when I drive through this area I am not getting a very favorable impression. The area seems to be trending in the wrong direction, with high retail vacancies and aging multifamily making the area seem rundown and unsafe.

Though, what puzzles me the most about this is -- how can it be happening in Roswell?!

How can a city as large (population ~100k) and affluent as Roswell not support at least some form of shopping and entertainment in big box retail, apparel, movie theaters, sporting goods, or upscale restaurants? There are such a large number of single family neighborhoods and country clubs (Country Club of South, Rivermont, Martin's Landings) that are directly off of or connected to Holcomb Bridge Rd.

Yet there is also a glut of older rental properties/workforce housing... seems like an odd development mix on the residential side.

Does anyone know where Roswell residents do their shopping? Because there is absolutely NOTHING besides local shops in the downtown area, and the westside of Roswell is all neighborhoods.

This area seems like it would have a ton of potential from a commercial real estate perspective. Great highway accessibility, high daily vehicle count, and strong demographic support. I am curious if anyone has insight into what's driving the demise of the area and why retail does so poorly in Roswell. Thank you for your replies.

Overbuilding of retail in many parts of North Fulton.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by aries4118

Overbuilding of retail in many parts of North Fulton.

This... Along with overbuilding of retail along the entire Georgia 400 corridor north of Atlanta.

Leapfrogging development patterns have pushed heavy retail development out to the Dawsonville area, where there is a boom in commercial retail development in the area near the North Georgia Premium Outlets mall which is located about 30 miles north of the Georgia 140 Holcomb Bridge Road corridor that the OP is inquiring about.

Heck, there’s even a small shopping area (anchored by a Home Depot big box store and a Waffle House restaurant) that has popped up at the US-19/GA-60/GA-119 junction (where the Georgia 400 highway ends) about 40 miles north of the GA-140 Holcomb Bridge Road corridor (and about 60 miles north of Downtown Atlanta) in exurban Dahlonega in the high foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

[Tarzanman]

I used to live along Holcomb Br Rd (albeit 10 years ago).
First off, the people who live along the east side of GA400 are quite happy that their section of Holcomb Br Rd doesn't look like the section between highway 9 and GA400. East Roswell has more in common with Alpharetta, Johns Creek and Peachtree Corners than downtown/west Roswell

I only lived in the area for about 7 years but it seems a case of poorly managed growth and development. GA400 acts as a pretty effective border. Few are the well planned places where a car dealership is next to a DoubleTree hotel which is next to a Krystal while being across the street from an office complex.

Where do the people shop? When I lived there I got food from the closest Kroger and occasionally the Publix or Fresh Market along Old Alabama. That section of Roswell is very close to Alpharetta and Johns Creek.
There were a Kohl's and Super Target very near east Roswell Park for a few years, but the Mansell Rd/Northpoint Pkwy shopping area is a short drive. I rarely drove west on Holcomb Br to shop or go out to eat, and instead found it easier to drive west along Mansell.

Downtown Roswell is almost like visiting an adjacent town as there are no good routes to get there. All of the larger east-west roads take you to just north or just south of that area. You can descend to the river down Eves Rd or Old Alabama Rd but traffic along Riverside is a crap shoot once you've cross under the (GA400) bridge past Don White Park. The alternative, Dogwood to Grimes Br Rd is a pretty serpentine path to go.

[primaltech]

Yeah, too much retail, and it's all very outdated. The entire Holcomb Bridge corridor has always seemed to me like it came straight out of the 1980's, and has never heard of the internet, or mixed use development. Too many old school sprawled out parking lot shopping centers filled with slots for generic chains, and there's 3 Kroger shopping centers right next to each other.

Everything along Old Alabama @ 400 (that massive shopping center area, and the junky old apartments), really needs to be bulldozed and reimagined and rebuilt to something modern and attractive. And the abandoned Target shopping center needs to be replaced as well. It all probably eventually will.

It's not a bad area at all, just a lot of really dated development, both in terms of retail/commercial, and housing. Same thing goes for lots of the established north suburbs. Even Alpharetta has this issue to a degree. This one is in a completely nice area of town, and it's depressing looking:

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0459...7i16384!8i8192

[Citykid3785]

So we live in east Cobb, and often shop at their other super target off 92 on the west end of Roswell.

There is a huge retail corridor on 92 starting from sandy plains road until you hit highway 9.

East of that is a lower income, high Hispanic sector of the city. I don’t think highway 400 helps the matter, as it bisects the city and you essentially have 2 different cities, east Roswell and west Roswell.

[bu2]

The pandemic has eviscerated retail all over.

[Esteban5]

This area of Roswell reminds me of the 285/Roswell Rd. area in Sandy Springs before it incorporated. Old strip malls with title pawn services, run down apartments and schools that were challenged.

IMO, the difference today in the Holcomb Bridge/400 area is there are still some vibrant businesses very near that intersection that would put up a stronger fight for status quo. Regal Nissan, Doubletree Hotel, Red Lobster + the other established offices in proximity.

[Citykid3785]

Originally Posted by Esteban5

This area of Roswell reminds me of the 285/Roswell Rd. area in Sandy Springs before it incorporated. Old strip malls with title pawn services, run down apartments and schools that were challenged.

IMO, the difference today in the Holcomb Bridge/400 area is there are still some vibrant businesses very near that intersection that would put up a stronger fight for status quo. Regal Nissan, Doubletree Hotel, Red Lobster + the other established offices in proximity.

Yes, and Kimberly Clark has a huge regional HQ right in that area. I think they own something like 90 acres right at 92 and 400.

Sandy Springs just bulldozed the worst of their strip mall blight. in 5 years that hwy 9 corridor is going to look soooooooo different.