The dramatic facelift to the exterior of the Braelinn Village shopping center is paying dividends already.
Mike Murtaugh, a member of the Development Authority of Peachtree City and also a business owner at Braelinn, told the authority last week that foot traffic in the area is up significantly.
Murtaugh owns the TCBY store that recently opened in Braelinn. But the reports of increased foot traffic have come from the observations of shop owners who have been there a long time, he said.
“And I can tell you about the thousands of people that have come to our store,” Murtaugh said.
Murtaugh said that residents are even coming from the northern part of Peachtree City to check out Braelinn’s new look. And on top of that, the Kmart at Braelinn is about to get a refreshing of its interior, he added.
In speaking with leasing agents for the center, there is certainly more interest thanks to the exterior renovations that wrapped up this summer, Murtaugh said.
“You’re seeing a lot more parking used than before,” Murtaugh observed.
He also noted that Braelinn’s success has caught the eye of Bill Hooper, who manages the Peachtree Crossing shopping center on Ga. Highway 54 and Peachtree Parkway, which is about to go through its own exterior renovations.
On a recent visit to Braelinn, Hooper “became even more enthused about his vision” for the Peachtree Crossing project, Murtaugh said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he moves faster than what he originally talked about at his last merchant meeting,” Murtaugh said.
DAPC in the past several years has taken an interest in helping merchants in the city’s village retail centers survive the rough economy and competitive retail environment.
Through the efforts of former DAPC member Grey Durham and others, several of the city’s older shopping centers have formed merchants associations so they can find ways to work together to improve their profile in the community and drum up more business.
