Business & Tech

Burlington, L.A. Fitness Coming to Highway 78

The Evermore Community Improvement District is seeing growth.

A new Burlington Coat Factory and L.A. Fitness will spruce up U.S. Highway 78 leading into Snellville before long, bringing two sorely needed businesses to the challenged corridor.

And that's not all.

The grand opening of Stone Mountain Toyota's renovation is coming up in July, road improvements are continuing and other projects are on tap, said Jim Brooks, executive director of the Evermore Community Improvement District (CID).

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

The Evermore CID, a self-taxing business district that includes parts of Snellville, Stone Mountain and Lilburn, has been integral in championing development changes along Highway 78. A number of vacant businesses sit along the way, a corridor that acts as a gateway to Snellville.

The Burlington Coat Factory is planned for the former Publix near Killian Hill Road closer to Snellville. It will expand the existing space to create nearly 70,000 square feet, Brooks said.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

For those heading east on Highway 78 to the shopping center, there will be a median break in front of the shopping center to allow left turns into the facility prior to getting to the left turn lane at Killian Hill, he said.

"You’ll see 'Burlington' being displayed more prominently than 'coat factory,' " Brooks added, referring to the long-recognized store moniker.

The new store will sell clothing in addition to items such as home decor.

"It's a new concept," Brooks said.

The L.A. Fitness is planned for East Park Place in an old Kroger shopping center in Stone Mountain. To match L.A. Fitness, the shopping center is getting a new facade, Brooks added.

“We have known for quite some time that redevelopment and reuse and rebranding would be part of our corridor," Brooks said. "A great example is the old Kroger store."

Other redevelopment tibits:

  • Stone Mountain Toyota's renovation was between $2.5 and $3 million.
  • Gwinnett Chrysler Dodge Jeep is now a privately owned store, not company owned. The new owner is Five Star Automotive Group.
  • Parallel roads are going on the north side of 78, about a $16-18 milion project. Construction could begin in June 2013.
  • , as well as Anna's Linens.
  • Baranco, which had a location at Highway 78 near Ross Road, is in negotiations with another new car dealership for the facility, Brooks said.

About the Evermore CID:

The area runs 7.5 miles starting from the Gwinnett-DeKalb line, has more than 1,600 businesses and 508 property owners. It is a self-taxing district, with representatives from the city of Snellville, Gwinnett County and the greater business community on the board. 

(Editor's Note: Joy Woodson contributed to this report.)


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here