GAINESVILLE - A man who keeps a close eye on economic and growth trends in northeast Georgia suggested Thursday there is a need for a major retail initiative on the part of the chamber of commerce in Gainesville.
Frank Norton, Jr. addressed the monthly meeting of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce (GHCC) Board of Directors.
Norton was discussing retail trends in the region and the impact they are having on Hall County.
Norton said the initiative should include support for new "big box" retail establishments (such as PetSmart, Wal Mart, etc.); a South Hall major retail center; and, the preservation of land for a potential mall site at an interchange on I-985 in the Oakwood/Flowery Branch area.
He said the average Wal Mart generates $3.795 million dollars in taxes each years, meaning they more than pay for themselves in no time.
Norton said you have to look no further than Colonial Lakeshore Mall in Gainesville to realize how Hall County is losing retail trade. He said surveys of the vehicles in the mall parking lot - focusing on what county they are from - reflect the impact on the mall that the new shopping centers and "big box" stores springing up in neighboring counties is having on the shopping habits of people in Hall County and in the other counties.
Norton said in 1992, 52% of mall shoppers were from outside Hall County. "By 1997, it had gone to 60%, (by) 2000, 69%."
Norton challenged the chamber of commerce to embark on a plan to "keep the northern county shoppers here and keep Hall County shoppers here." A retail center in southern Hall County, he said, would open up a new market in Hall County for retail spending now going to Gwinnett County.
Thursday
January 9th, 2025
2:35PM
