Residents living near Chateau Elan soon may have the opportunity to shop a little closer to home.
In five years, Braselton may welcome a new shopping center similar to one opened last year in Flowery Branch.
The Braselton Town Council approved a request Monday to update a master plan developed by Chateau Elan and approved by Braselton in 2000. The affected 216-acre property is located across from Chateau Elan in the northeastern corner of the Ga. 211 and Interstate 85 intersection.
The original plan allows for construction of about 1.4 million square feet of one- and two-story commercial buildings. The Vineyards Shopping Center and Blockbuster video store are the only improvements built on the site so far.
Halvorsen Development Corporation of Boca Raton, Fla., has proposed a mix of retail and office buildings on about 237 acres, 21 acres of which still need to be annexed into the town. The project would include about 1.3 million square feet of office, commercial and retail buildings.
The corporation closed on the property Nov. 4, according to president Thomas Vincent, and it purchased the acreage from Fountainhead Commercial Development LLC, one of the development divisions of Chateau Elan.
Vincent said the corporation hopes to complete the project in phases over five years. Construction would start in 2011 or 2012.
“This is a project that obviously has a long road map ahead of it, given the current state of the economy and where retailers are,” he said. “A lot of retailers have their eye on the site right now, and when things start to regain momentum, we’ve got a pretty exciting project, I think, for the town.”
Vincent said he couldn’t disclose what stores may be included, but that at least 12 have shown interest, some of which were “key players” in another shopping center the corporation recently completed.
Stonebridge Village at Spout Springs Road and I-985 in Flowery Branch opened in 2008. Its stores include Target, Home Depot, Kohl’s, Office Max and PetSmart.
In addition to retailers, Vincent said the Braselton development would offer more office space than the Stonebridge development.
For the next two years, Vincent said the corporation will focus on acquiring the necessary permits.
“That’s probably about the time we’re hoping that the lion share of the economy will bring the retailers back and (we’ll) start signing commitments,” he said.
The corporation is also building a shopping center, Friendship Springs Village, which will feature a Publix supermarket, at Friendship and Spout Springs roads in Braselton. Additionally, it has developed retail centers in Florida, South Carolina and Virginia.
In five years, Braselton may welcome a new shopping center similar to one opened last year in Flowery Branch.
The Braselton Town Council approved a request Monday to update a master plan developed by Chateau Elan and approved by Braselton in 2000. The affected 216-acre property is located across from Chateau Elan in the northeastern corner of the Ga. 211 and Interstate 85 intersection.
The original plan allows for construction of about 1.4 million square feet of one- and two-story commercial buildings. The Vineyards Shopping Center and Blockbuster video store are the only improvements built on the site so far.
Halvorsen Development Corporation of Boca Raton, Fla., has proposed a mix of retail and office buildings on about 237 acres, 21 acres of which still need to be annexed into the town. The project would include about 1.3 million square feet of office, commercial and retail buildings.
The corporation closed on the property Nov. 4, according to president Thomas Vincent, and it purchased the acreage from Fountainhead Commercial Development LLC, one of the development divisions of Chateau Elan.
Vincent said the corporation hopes to complete the project in phases over five years. Construction would start in 2011 or 2012.
“This is a project that obviously has a long road map ahead of it, given the current state of the economy and where retailers are,” he said. “A lot of retailers have their eye on the site right now, and when things start to regain momentum, we’ve got a pretty exciting project, I think, for the town.”
Vincent said he couldn’t disclose what stores may be included, but that at least 12 have shown interest, some of which were “key players” in another shopping center the corporation recently completed.
Stonebridge Village at Spout Springs Road and I-985 in Flowery Branch opened in 2008. Its stores include Target, Home Depot, Kohl’s, Office Max and PetSmart.
In addition to retailers, Vincent said the Braselton development would offer more office space than the Stonebridge development.
For the next two years, Vincent said the corporation will focus on acquiring the necessary permits.
“That’s probably about the time we’re hoping that the lion share of the economy will bring the retailers back and (we’ll) start signing commitments,” he said.
The corporation is also building a shopping center, Friendship Springs Village, which will feature a Publix supermarket, at Friendship and Spout Springs roads in Braselton. Additionally, it has developed retail centers in Florida, South Carolina and Virginia.