Within the next three years,

shoppers on the southside will have a new destination to find the perfect

gift or latest outfit.

The Newnan City Council Monday

night passed a special exception use for a 750,000-square-foot "lifestyle

center" located off the Ga. Highway 34 bypass in Newnan.

"The only difference between

this and a traditional mall is that the courtyards are outside with fountains

and plantings," said city planner Ryan Libke.

The center is being developed

project started out as a traditional mall, but has evolved into an open-air

shopping center, similar to The Avenue in Peachtree City.

In approving the special exception,

the city imposed eight traffic mitigation measures on the developers,

including:

- An additional eastbound

through lane at the intersection of Interstate 85 and Bullsboro Drive.

- A second eastbound and

a second westbound turn lane at the intersection of Bullsboro Drive and

Amlajack Boulevard.

- A northbound through

lane at the intersection of Bullsboro Drive and Newnan Crossing Boulevard

West.

All entrances to the shopping

center are off the bypass, Libke said, so the city was quite careful in

determining traffic measures.

While no store has officially

committed to the center, preliminary plans in the past include Dillard's

and J. C. Penney's.

In addition to the shopping

center, a 67,000 sq. ft. theater with 3,357 seats is planned for the area.

Libke said the theater should open far sooner than the shopping center.