Riverside Parkway starting to click with restaurants, medical, potential retail near State Mutual Stadium
As appearing on HometownHeadlines.Com
By Natalie Simms
In less than three months, the Rome Braves will start their eighth season in Rome and as they take the field, development around State Mutual Stadium is finally poised to bloom.
Fuddrucker’s was first on the scene soon after the Braves came to town and a lot has been proposed since then: hotels, sports complexes, medical campuses and several spins on retail power centers.
Finally, the Riverside Parkway/Bypass corridor is starting to boom thanks to a new restaurant, dental offices, the proposed Boulevard and more than 50 new acres about to come on the market..
Here’s a look at what’s under way and what potentially ’s on the way:
The Boulevard plan calls for retail, medical and related development around State Mutual Stadium, which welcomes the Rome Braves for the eighth season beginning in April.
BELLA ROMA GRILL, THE BOULEVARD: On the other side of the Bypass, future development is picking up with the recent opening of Bella Roma Grill. The restaurant opened last week in building directly in front of the stadium. It originally was built to be a Hooters opening in May 2008.
Opening week business has been busy for owner Eddie Hasko. “It has been very good…a lot more business than I expected. But, we’re still a work in progress, so we look forward to the start of the (Rome) Braves’ season,” he says.
The restaurant also is a big plus for the proposed Boulevard project under the development of Doc Kibler and Dee Yancey.
“I spoke with Eddie (Hasko) and he said business is better than he expected and the timing is perfect for us,” Kibler says. “And the Armuchee Connector should have some construction under way in the spring, so we have more happening here than anywhere in Rome.”
Kibler’s vision for The Boulevard includes the potential of regional and national shopping, specialty grocers and entertainment anchors in phases two and three as well as the opportunity for a medical complex featuring late-night daycare options for diners, baseball fans and moviegoers.
“We are very optimistic about 2010 and hope to start this year with a bang,” Kibler says. “We have had lots of inquiries and some deals pending. Some tenants are trying to get financing and some national retailers are working on getting committee approvals. Nothing is set in stone, but we hope to be announcing some great things soon.”
And once the Armuchee Connector is under way, the development opportunities will abound along the corridor and impacting growth around the stadium.
“There is so much traffic out there with car counts and the more offices and businesses out there will only increase the traffic,” Kibler says. “Everything out there can’t do anything but help Rome.”
Project Coordinator Elected to Chamber of Commerce Board
Rome Boulevard project manager and investor, Doc Kibler, was recently elected to serve a three year term on the Board of Directors for the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce. Beginning in January, he will serve on the Executive Committee as the Vice Chairman of Community Relations. In this role, he will play an active part of soliciting and building relationships with new businesses relocating to Rome. Rome Boulevard will benefit from this connection to the heart of the business community.
Armuchee Connector Work to Begin in November
Rome Boulevard enthusiasts should be pleased at Tuesday night’s Floyd County Commission meeting where Armuchee Connector construction plans were announced. According to the Rome News Tribune:
County Manager Kevin Poe said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is scheduled to issue a permit in the next two to three weeks, then a preconstruction meeting would be scheduled.
“We’ll be turning dirt in November and the project will take 19 months,” he told the board.
This is great news for those planning to purchase property at Rome Boulevard. The work is slated to be completed in 19 months or summer of 2011 and will bring an additional traffic stream from the Armuchee area directly to Braves Boulevard. Leading the project will be the selected bidder, C.W. Matthews Contracting Co. Inc. who came in the lowest of seven bids at $8.1 million.
County Manager Kevin Poe said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is scheduled to issue a permit in the next two to three weeks, then a preconstruction meeting would be scheduled.
Stay tuned for more pictures as construction begins.
Bids Closed; County Pleased with Results
According to the Rome News Tribune on Sept. 9:
Floyd County officials heaved a sigh of relief Thursday, after opening the construction bids for the proposed Armuchee Connector.
“They’re good,” County Manager Kevin Poe said. “We still have to evaluate them, but it’s looking to be around $8.1 million. We needed to keep it below $9.6 million.”
Marietta-based C.W. Matthews Contracting Co. appears to be the low-bidder, but Poe said it will take some time to compare the elements offered in each proposal. A recommendation is expected to be ready for the Floyd County Commission’s Sept. 22 meeting.
The 2006 special purpose, local option sales tax package contained a $12 million earmark for the project. The 2.2-mile road and bridge across the Oostanaula River will link Braves Boulevard at State Mutual Stadium with U.S. 27 at Old Summerville Road.
Twenty-two companies requested project plans, and seven submitted base bids ranging from $8,059,862.35 to $9,438,388.66.
In addition to C.W. Matthews, bidders were Northwest Georgia Paving; Sunbelt Structures; Tidwell Construction Co.; E.R. Snell Contractor Inc.; Wright Brothers Construction Co. Inc.; and Archer Western
Contractors Ltd.
Click here for a PDF of the project profile and a route map.
Renovations Underway At The Boulevard
Bella Roma Before Renovations
Renovations have begun at Rome Boulevard on the site purchased by Eddie Hasko last month. Aiming to build on the success of his Armuchee restaurant, Bella Roma, the new concept will take a grill approach and include American bar food alongside his authentic Italian menu.
“We’ve had great after four years in the original location,” Hasko said, “and I’m excited about trying some new things to appeal to a baseball-loving crowd.” Bella Rome Grill is set to be open in late November or early December with a look that will be a drastic change from the current facade.
The renovation will bring stone patios and tuscan-style stucco to the now vinyl building. When asked about the renovation plans. Hasko is confident that the community will love the changes. “it will be beautiful. We Italians know beautiful.”
Bella Roma Grill is sure to be fitting complement to the Boulevard’s Boardwalk series to be built between Veterans Memorial Parkway and Braves Boulevard. Be sure to watch as renovations unfold over the next three months.
Rome News Tribune Coverage: http://tinyurl.com/kqtrj2
Bidding Open for Armuchee Connector Construction
Floyd County Manager’s Office has opened the bidding process for Armuchee Connector construction. The
Armuchee Connector is a new 2.2 mile roadway that will connect Braves Boulevard and Highway 27 that has been funded by the 2006 SPLOST package.
According the the Notice of Letting Proposals:
Bids will be received until 2:00pm (local time), on September 3, 2009 at the office of the Floyd
County Purchasing Director, located in the Floyd County Administration Building, 12 East Fourth
Avenue, Suite 106, Rome, Georgia. Sealed bids will then and there be publicly opened and read aloud
in the office of the Purchasing Director. Bids are to be sealed, marked with the bidder’s name and
address and labeled: “Armuchee Connector”. Bids will be date and time stamped upon receipt. Bids
received after the stated time will not be accepted.The work is to be let in one contract, and shall conform in all respects to the Plans and
Specifications prepared by Wilbur Smith Associates, Engineers, Atlanta, Georgia which are made out
and posted conspicuously in the office of the Purchasing Agent of the Board of Commissioners of said
County, which is also the office of the undersigned, and said specifications, general conditions and
drawings, are open to the inspection of the public.
Plans Complete for Armuchee Connector
According to Kevin Poe, Floyd County Manager, plans for Armuchee Connector are now complete. The project will be “put out to bid the beginning of next month” and the county plans for construction to “start in September and be completed by the summer or fall of 2011,” according to Poe. This SPLOST-funded road will connect the Rome Boulevard to Martha Berry Highway (Hwy 27) just north of the Mount Berry Square Mall and bring countless new traffic, visitors, shoppers, and patrons. Look for photos as soon as construction begins.
LEED Trends in the News
Anywhere you look in architectural and building trends will bring you across the developments in LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. This powerful certification allows the measurement of how well a building or community performs across all the metrics that matter most: energy saving, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. There have been some notable articles by architects, builders and lovers of green alike. Most recently, the USGBC highlighted the article “Smart Building Owners Can Find the ‘Green’ and Stop Singing the Blues” by Andrew T. Nichols. An excerpt follows, or click GREEN to access the full text:
As consumers stop shopping, retail tenants have less money for rent and les need for space. When businesses contract, there is less demand for office, industrial and other facilities. And as employment and wages trend downward, tenants strain to pay the apartment rent (especially the high end). Rising tenant defaults and vacancies and declining rents challenge property owners struggling to pay debt service or faced with maturing mortgages.
Add to those challenges the prospect of rising energy costs. Fluctuations in oil and gas prices over the past year have been stupendous, with crude oil prices falling from $145.31 to $52.38 per barrel between July 2008 and this past March. As with land, oil is a depleting asset. Once China, India, Brazil, the U.S., and other nations step up manufacturing, and automobile ownership increases in emerging nations, prices for fuel will rise as well. Even with low oil prices today, electricity costs are still going up. In the U.S., electric demand outpaces supply, and most utility providers are seeking rate increases. For property owners and tenants, controlling escalading energy costs can be a key to surviving a downturn and prospering on the upside….
And
Irrespective of project size, it is almost axiomatic that the value of a building after “greening” will go up. Conversely, avoiding green initiatives will almost certainly portend a decline in value over time. First and foremost, energy costs are destined to rise. Failing to adopt energy saving programs will mean lower net operating income and depressed values for older, less efficient buildings. Second, not being green put owners at a competitive disadvantage.
You can check out more information by going to the LEED CERTIFICATION page here on Rome Boulevard, where there are links to many great resources. If you find a great article about going green or LEED development, feel free to share by commenting below.
Phone Contact Information Until May 3
Until May 3, Steele Agency, LLC. will be the primary phone contact for The Boulevard project. Click below to be connected to this answering service. Email contact is welcome anytime at info@romeboulevard.com.
Thanks for your patience as we work to connect you to project information as quickly as possible!
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