No "Avenues" for Woodstock

Much to my dismay, Cousins Properties recently announced that they were no longer going to plan an “Avenues” outdoor shopping mall at the Ridgewalk development in Woodstock. I grew up in the East Cobb area where the first “Avenues” came to Atlanta, The Avenues of East Cobb, and it was a huge success. So huge, in fact, that they then implemented an Avenues in both West Cobb and one in Forsyth. The outdoor shopping malls are filled with popular retail stores, restaurants, coffee shops, book stores, all kinds of wonderful things. They are a great place to get ice cream and walk around on a sunny afternoon, breathing in some fresh air. I have always enjoyed my time spent at the Avenues. So you can imagine how excited I was when I first heard about the Avenues of Ridgewalk coming to Woodstock!! As a Cherokee County resident that was huge news. I have anxiously watched the land be developed over the past few years, waiting for ground to break on my beloved Avenues. And as a Realtor, I also knew it would be great for Woodstock Real Estate – it was always a draw to me that my parent’s lived so close to the Avenues and I feel like the proximity of your subdivision to the Avenues could be a good selling feature.

Alas, I should have known it was too good to be true. Sigh. Cousins has nixed the Avenues idea, saying it’s too stale of an idea for current times (I may beg to differ) and in its place will be the “Outlet Shoppes of Atlanta”. The owner of the property, Bill Butler, states that it will be more upscale than your typical outlet mall, a twist on the Avenues concept but designed more for today’s economy.

But isn’t a 120-store outlet mall going in at Sixes Road as well, just one exit north of the Ridgewalk development? Won’t that be a little overkill as far as outlet shopping goes? Wait, is that even possible?? Woodstock Mayor Henriques says the two shopping centers will be designed to compliment each other. The regional draw will be, come shopping for one day but get two fabulous locations.

All in all, I am glad Cherokee County is getting some better shopping, but it stings just a little to know after much anticipation and waiting, one of the venues won’t be an Avenues. I strongly believe that an Avenues in Woodstock would still do equally as well as the East & West Cobb and Forsyth locations. The new developments are creeping along in progress, so in the meantime I will sit patiently and dream of the shopping to come. Who knows what could change before the slab is poured??
 

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