Tom Oder
Ashe-Simpson Garden Center, a popular Chamblee destination for plant collectors and gardening enthusiasts, will be in a new home by the middle of October.
The current nursery, which owner Carole Simpson opened in 1998, is part of an 11.12-acre parcel that S. J. Collins Enterprises, a commercial real estate development firm in Fairburn, plans to develop. Closing on the sale of the property, located on Peachtree Boulevard across from Lowe’s, is scheduled for mid-August, Simpson said.
“I have 60 days to vacate after the sale,” Simpson said recently, adding that she has found nearby property where she hopes to relocate operations.
“I will be downsizing somewhat,” she said. While she plans to continue to emphasize her landscape business, which she said has kept her busy and has not slowed during the summer, the retail operation will become “more of a boutique specialty nursery.”
“We hope to have a grand opening by the end of November and look forward to welcoming our customers to our new location,” she said. Customers can look forward to a close-out sale before bulldozers begin clearing the current location.
S.J. Collins is actively working on the closing and can’t comment on an exact closing date, but plans to start demolition and clearing the land in September, said Jeff Garrison, a partner in the firm. Definite dates haven’t been set because the site is still under review by the city, said Adam Causey, economic development manager for the City of Chamblee. The tract is bordered by Peachtree Boulevard on the West and Peachtree Road on the East.
Whole Foods will be the anchor tenant, and Taqueria del Sol is one of many tenants that will be announced in coming months, Garrison said. The project, which will be called Peachtree Crossing, is scheduled to open in the spring of 2017, he added.
