Goodwill Industries received approval last week from the Fayetteville Planning and Zoning Commission to locate a retail store and drop-off center in the Uptown Square shopping center on Ga. Highway 85 across from the Fayette Pavilion.
That site most recently housed the now-bankrupt Linens-n-Things. The development has a number of vacant storefronts including that of the Barnes & Noble bookstore that closed in May.
Plans for the store include a revamping the interior of the 34,000 square-foot building and providing a drop-off area for donations in the rear of the building.
Goodwill representatives Tuesday said the anticipated opening date for the business has not been determined.
The current proposal is one of the few larger projects to come before the city’s planning commission since the recession took hold.
Pertaining to the Barnes & Noble closure in May after nearly 10 years of operation, Barnes & Noble Vice President of Development David Deason at the time said, “The lease is at the end of its term, and we were unable to reach an agreement with the property owners on an extension prior to the development going into foreclosure, and then unable to reach an agreement with the lender once the property had gone into foreclosure.”
In a previous issue in late 2008, Goodwill proposed to construct a 33,200 square-foot retail thrift store and training center adjacent to the Piccadilly restaurant on Banks Road.
The proposal that would have been tied to a development bond with the Fayette County Development Authority did not come to fruition.
