Demolition Underway To Make Room for Walmart

The demolition of the Green's Corner Shopping Center at the corner of Jimmy Carter Boulevard and Rockbridge Road has begun and will soon be home to a 157,000 square-foot Walmart supercenter, according to a press release from the Gwinnett Village CID.

The shopping center, once a thriving retail destination, was originally anchored by a K-Mart and movie theater, but has languished in recent years. Local officials and community leaders are excited to see investment coming to the property.

“It’s gratifying to see revitalization projects like this taking shape in areas of our county that developed during our early growth years,” said Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Charlotte Nash in the release. “I am thankful to Walmart for making this significant investment in Green's Corner, adding an attractive development to this community and bringing retail back to a once-vibrant shopping center. This is an exciting day for Gwinnett County, the Gwinnett Village CID, and everyone who lives or does business in the area.”

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Since losing its anchor tenant, the once bustling center has hosted a number of small retailers as well as a couple of nightclubs which Gwinnett Village CID executive director Chuck Warbington, for one, is not sad to say goodbye to, "One of our major initiatives has been to decrease crime in the area and while we have been successful, the clubs at Green's Corner have been a challenge for us and local law enforcement."

Local leaders hope that the redevelopment signals a resurgence of commercial activity in a portion of the Jimmy Carter Boulevard corridor that has suffered from disinvestment in recent years.

“The Gwinnett Village CID has done an excellent job showcasing the potential of the Jimmy Carter Corridor,” said Lynette Howard, District 2 Commissioner. “Walmart’s commitment to redevelopment in this great community will hopefully entice other developers to invest in this area.”

The store is slated to open its doors in the summer of 2013 and will feature a garden center, retail space and grocery.