Lee Co. hospital project leads to commercial developments (Albany, Newnan: college, restaurants)

[Airforceguy]

Not sure how I feel about this. While its good that residents in Lee County will have a hospital, considering how the Albany metro is in decline I have a feeling retailers and restaurants currently in NW Albany will just decamp and head over to this project and leave Albany with a bunch of vacancies...

The 200 acre overgrown golf course will possibly be filled with a Target, Academy Sports, Fresh Market or Walgreens. Those are some of the suggestions Lee County Development Authority members have received.

“My vision, along with the county commission’s vision for the development around the hospital is to create a new sense of place like South Georgia has never experienced before.” said Winston Oxford, a development authority member. "It will be a mix use, upscale development.”

Lee Co. hospital project leads to commercial developments

[citidata18]

It can work if they're creative and manage it right.

Newnan and Auburn, which are similar markets in size and demographics, have been able to support both a Dick's and an Academy Sports. So surely Albany should be able to land at least one of them.

They would just aggressively need to go after new-to-market retailers and restaurants that are expanding. But they also must understand that these retailers and restaurants aren't going to come groveling on their knees at their front stoop to open a location in Albany (most of them probably never even heard about Albany) Perhaps creating a role within Albany's government who's job is to spend all of their time way marketing the positive attributes of Albany is necessary.

Albany has a pretty significant college campus (thus a large student population), which is something national retailers and retailers like as well.

[Newsboy]

This sounds like a lot of wishful thinking on the part of some Lee County developers. They should probably try to get a Walmart and Piggly Wiggly before going after Target and Fresh Market.

[citidata18]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

This sounds like a lot of wishful thinking on the part of some Lee County developers. They should probably try to get a Walmart and Piggly Wiggly before going after Target and Fresh Market.

Albany already has most of those places, including a Target.

Fresh Market isn't expanding anywhere right now.