‘Boss of Gloss’ Jim Goff Keeps Downtown Strutting, One Shoeshine at a Time (Gainesville Sun)—At the intersection of Southeast First Street and Second Avenue in the heart of Gainesville, businesspeople shuffle to and from their offices, friends pick out a spot for lunch, and bicyclists leisurely pedal by. And all the while, someone is watching, carefully examining something no one leaves home without — their shoes.
Coffee Shop Opens in Downtown Powder Springs (Patch)—For almost seven years, Joan Evans has poured her heart and soul into the Tea at Seven Springs. The restaurant in downtown Powder Springs reflects on feminine elegance, as it’s filled with tablecloths and beautifully crafted teacups, floral arrangements and fancy round-brimmed hats. All the girly concepts got her husband, Larry, thinking: The men in town need a “man cave.”
Details Revealed on $3.5M Powder Springs Gun Range (Patch)—Bert and Kristina Brown hope to have their gun range at the corner of Sterlingbrooke Drive and Highway 278 in Powder Springs complete by June. “This isn’t a typical hole-in-the-wall firing range,” Bert Brown told the City Council at Wednesday’s work session. “Basically the total price tag on the project is about $3.5 million. It’s basically kind of like a country club of a firing range.”
Downtown Powder Springs Will Soon Be More ‘Delectable’ (Patch)—They admit they’ve got a long road ahead of them—painting and pounding, putting up walls and peeling up linoleum—but cousins Erin-Renee Sierra and Lindsey Hazard appear to be up for the challenge. Armed with a detailed plan and vision, the young business partners are working to transform the former S2 Seafood Soiree building on Marietta Street in downtown Powder Springs into the local place for “delectable cupcakes” and “gourmet cookies”—aka the Lily Torte Baking Company.
Hawthorne Plywood Mill to Stay Closed, Officials Say (Gainesville Sun)—After three years of waiting for a possible reopening, Georgia-Pacific has decided that its plywood mill outside Hawthorne will stay shut down. “The plant had been in an idle status, and it has now been determined that we will not be able to reopen that facility,” GP spokesman Terry Hadaway told The Sun this week.
Housing for Students, Seniors, Vets Coming (Gainesville Sun)—Three more apartment projects are in the planning stages between the University of Florida and downtown Gainesville — two geared toward students and the other for seniors and veterans.
It Truly Is La Familia (Gainesville Sun)—Every weekday morning at 5:30, Terry Sapp leaves his home in Tampa to pick up fresh bread from a nearby bakery. He then makes the trek of nearly two hours to Gainesville to ready his business, La Familia Cuban Sandwich Shop, for the 10 a.m. opening. By the time the shop is closed and cleaned, it’s about 5:30 p.m. — and that’s before even hitting the road back home.
Pepine Realty Targeting Foreign Buyers with Recent Hire (Gainesville Sun)—To capitalize on the expansive foreign-buyer portion of the real-estate market, Gainesville-based Pepine Realty hired Saveela Asad in September to spearhead the company’s new Global Division.
Powder Springs Business Association Bids Final Farewell (Patch)—The Powder Springs Business Association held its last meeting Tuesday following a run of nearly four decades. “For those of us that put a lot of time, blood, sweat and tears into the association over the years, it’s been a difficult decision,” PSBA President Tom Hatch told those gathered for the luncheon at the Coach Ford Center’s Reception Hall. “But there’s no doubt that it’s the right decision. All involved will benefit from this.”
Powder Springs Gun Range OK’d to Serve Alcohol (Patch)—One of the two alcohol licenses approved by the Powder Springs City Council Monday came with little discussion and no debate. It was for wine and beers sales for the recently opened Loma Pizzeria on Sailors Parkway. The council approved the license 4-1, with Councilwoman Nancy Hudson dissenting, as she typically does on alcohol issues. But the other license, requested by the owners of the $3.5 million Governor’s Gun Club being built at the corner of C.H. James Parkway and Sterlingbrooke Drive, was full of points and rebuttals before being approved 3-2. (This specific article broke the story and was used by the Huffington Post. Many other area and national media outlets did something with the story based on the original breaking report.)
Still in Debt, Gator Stompin’ Pushes on with ‘Contained’ Budget (Gainesville Sun)—The debt owed to restaurants, bars, contractors and others following last year’s Gator Stompin’ event has been chopped to roughly half — or about $65,000 from an amount that once approached $150,000. But the head organizer said Gainesville’s 32-year-old annual pub crawl will go on and will still be a crowd pleaser, albeit on a more “contained” budget.
Vacant No More: Gainesville Warehouses Welcome Tenants (Gainesville Sun)—In 2013, several warehouses in and around Gainesville were sitting empty. At one point last year, as many as 10 to a dozen of the available buildings — which have 25,000 or more square feet — weren’t being leased or sold, said Mike Ryals, senior vice president of Bosshardt Realty’s Commercial and Land Division.
Wacker: Bigger Investment, More Jobs (Chattanooga Times Free Press)—Wacker Chemical announced Thursday that it would be upping its investment in Bradley County by almost $500 million and creating about 150 more jobs than originally planned.
West Cobb to Welcome New Yogurt Shop (Patch)—When a broker was showing Nikki Fain and Angie Fuller vacant buildings around Cobb, one grabbed their attention and hearts and wouldn’t let go. “We got out and we got so excited, and it felt like the dress, you know, the wedding dress,” Fuller said. And eight weeks later, after fixing up the former PJ’s Coffee and Wine Bar off Dallas Highway, they’re ready for the West Cobb community to try on the dress.
West Cobb Will Soon Have Antique Mall (Patch)—Soon, West Cobbers won’t have to sharpen their sabers before setting out on the Seven Seas to hunt for treasure. That’s because a new antique mall is bringing the treasure to them. Treasure Hunt Antique Mall is set to open during the last week of this month in the former Fred’s store in West Cobb Plaza at the intersection of New Macland and Macedonia roads in Powder Springs.
