With four major retailers committed to the development, the construction of Statesboro Crossing is well underway. Located on a 50-acre site at the southwest corner of Brannen Street Extension and Veteran’s Memorial Parkway, Statesboro Crossing will have T.J.Maxx, Hobby Lobby, Books-A-Million, and Petco as its anchor tenants.
A joint development venture between CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. and Ewing Southeast Realty, Statesboro Crossing is expected to bring a number of new jobs to Bulloch County in addition to much needed tax revenue.
“In 2007, the property(that Statesboro Crossing is being built on) was valued at $2,269,200,” said John Scott, Bulloch County chief appraiser. “I reviewed several other commercial developments, and from experience most of the time we see a "built out" value of between 5 to 8 times the initial land investment. Statesboro Crossing will have a definite positive effect on Bulloch County’s tax digest. The extent of that will not be known until the project is completed and can be valued.”
A representative of CBL stated at the recent ground breaking for Statesboro Crossing that the development was a $30 million project which would employ over 300 people and generate over $2 million per year in sales tax for Bulloch County. That is great news according to Statesboro-Bulloch County Chamber of Commerce and Bulloch County Development Authority president Peggy Chapman.
"It's an exciting time to live in Bulloch County with all of the growth that is taking place,” Chapman said. “Retail businesses like those that will locate in Statesboro Crossing will certainly make an impact and add to our our regional draw. This project took years to develop and the Ewings were tenacious in their commitment to proving good quality retail shops to Statesboro. Our job as citizens is to continue to shop and support our existing businesses as well as the new stores that will be opening soon in order to keep our economy strong."
Even though construction is just now reaching a fevered pitch on the 162,000 square foot shopping center project, plans for the “open” space that will be created have already been put in place.
“The shopping center parcel contains over five acres of open space that includes nearly 500 trees and shrubs; 40,000 square feet of landscaped area within the parking lot; and a landscaped buffer area between the rear of the shopping center and the biking trail,” Reinsmidt said. “The developer has dedicated land and parking to Bulloch County for the purpose of constructing a trailhead facility for the biking trail. In addition, the new road crossing the trail will be built by the developer and provided with vehicle detection and a visual warning system for the bikers.”
With a Fall 2008 opening scheduled, CBL officials are very optimistic about securing additional tenants for the development.
“Statesboro Crossing will bring much needed retail right into the heart of the Statesboro market,” said Steve Tingle, senior vice president - development for CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. “The interest from retailers to join the project continues to be strong and we look forward to announcing additions to the growing list of national and regional names.”
Ewing Southeast Realty, LLC is an Atlanta, GA-based retail development company specializing in land and shopping center development. The company currently has projects under development in Covington, Lovejoy, and Villa Rica, Ga., as well as a project in Albertville, Ala.
CBL owns and manages three other regional malls in Georgia including Arbor Place in Douglasville, Georgia Square in Athens, and Walnut Square in Dalton and two associated centers. CBL is one of the largest and most active owners and developers of malls and shopping centers in the United States. CBL owns, holds interests in or manages 135 properties, including 83 regional malls/open-air centers.