There isn’t much retail space to rent in downtown Braselton, but if someone’s interested in leasing a building, just ask the folks at town hall.
The Town of Braselton owns most of the commercial square footage available in downtown, a venture it started after a developer donated property to the municipality in 2009.
Wayne Mason’s gift to the town of the properties — which includes the historic Braselton Brothers Store and other smaller buildings in the area — currently generates $6,280 a month in rental payments to Braselton.
And that figure is expected to rise once the town finds tenants for two unoccupied buildings.
“When you think about the economy and how things are, I am amazed at how many requests from people looking for a location to operate a business in downtown,” said town manager Jennifer Dees, who’s also responsible for managing tenants in town-owned buildings.
Braselton has more than 38,600 square feet of commercial space in nine structures in downtown.
The single largest space is available at the Braselton Antique Mall, which leases 18,625 square feet for $1,500 a month in the former Braselton Brothers Store at the intersection of Ga. Hwy. 124 and Ga. Hwy. 53.
The old store is also home to the Braselton Tile Factory, which pays $1,500 a month for 9,500 square feet and Braselton Family Dentistry, which rents 1,200 square feet for $780, according to figures provided by the town.
Braselton has several other smaller buildings in its downtown that are leased to businesses.
Those include a former service station across from the Braselton Brothers Store that is leased to Kathryn Cooper Robinson Interiors for $1,000 a month for 1,425 square feet. The business also rents a nearby former barber shop from the town for $400 a month for 300 square feet.
Griz Graphic leases a shed for $350 a month and Terry McDaniel rents a 1,500 square-foot barn for $150 a month, according to the town. John Rich recently leased an old post office for Oakleaf and Acorn on Ga. Hwy. 53 for $600 a month for 430 square feet.
Braselton is also looking for tenants to fill up 5,000 square feet recently vacated by the Braselton Tile Factory at the Braselton Brothers Store and a former telephone exchange that will be relocated in downtown this week.
For more on this story, see the September 1 edition of the Barrow Journal or click here to read the full story online when you subscribe to our new e-edition. 
