Downtown Winder’s renewal under way?

Barrow Journal

RSS Feed

Email Alerts

Twitter

Facebook

Downtown Winder’s renewal under way?

Posted by

Mike Buffington

in Top Stories & Breaking News, Winder Archives

Wednesday, August 22. 2012

Comments (21)

Downtown Winder has been bustling this week as contractors — and even county prisoners — worked simultaneously at four sites. The activities this week were just the start of efforts by both the county and city governments to try and save downtown Winder as a retail center. Over the next 12 months, the county will complete the total renovation of its three buildings of the historic courthouse complex. At the same time, GDOT will be replacing North Broad Street and also overseeing planned streetscape improvements that will include wider sidewalks, fresh landscaping, new lighting and redesigned parking. The streetscape project will involve pedestrian improvements at the courthouse complex, the old hotel site, and along North Broad from the railroad tracks to Stephens Street.
For the full story, see the Aug. 22 issue of the Barrow Journal.

Trackbacks

Trackback specific URI for this entry

No Trackbacks

Comments

Display comments as (Linear | Threaded)

#1 coolbluerick84 on 08/22/12 at 11:01 AM [Reply]

This town can be fixed up nice and traffic problems can be resolved too as well as parking. When Winder gets done with the streetscape they need to get a developer to redevelop, after all we already have a Dollar Tree and a Hardees which is a good start.

#1.1 Anonie Mouse on 08/23/12 at 08:38 AM [Reply]

You think a Dollar Tree & a Hardees is a good start? I do hope that was meant to be a sarcastic remark.

#2 tax,tax,tax on 08/22/12 at 12:00 PM [Reply]

Jefferson spent millions redoing downtown and it still is full of empty store fronts. traffic is a nightmare due to the addition of concrete curbs and medians. some of the construction had to be redone 3 times, so it took twice as long as promised. several businesses closed during the redo. after all the money they spent, the most important item to improve the looks of the public square wasn't done (burying the power lines). total waste of money.

#3 Staying positive on 08/22/12 at 01:46 PM [Reply]

I am sick of people being so negative. If people do not like the traffic, then they need to take another route. If people do not like the way things look, then they need to MOVE.

#3.1 Can't have it both ways on 08/28/12 at 08:54 PM [Reply]

That is exactly what we are doing, going elsewhere and bypassing downtown. Then they are spending millions and beg us to come downtown.
Build it and they won't come, tell us to avoid it and leave and we'll be glad to.

#4 Teacher on 08/23/12 at 12:13 AM [Reply]

If the city really wanted to do something productive. They would stop all the city construction vehicles from using Beulah Street to gain access to the construction department. They have their own access off May Street. Beulah Street is being destroyed by all these big garbage trucks and tractors. Also they make too much noise and create a danger trying to pull out onto Athens Street.

#4.1 Anonymous on 08/23/12 at 04:57 PM [Reply]

Yes 106 . We know...But I would rather have them on your street rather than more traffic on May St

#5 Beth on 08/23/12 at 08:57 AM [Reply]

Ha Ha HA I am laughing ths morning at this ridiculous notion that Downtown will EVER prosper! Not as long as the GOB's are in charge it won't! Make the owners of those dilapidated buildings tear them down, as they are eyesores!!!!
Doesn't matter how many sidewalks you put in or how much "streetscaping" you do it is STILL an OLD town with buildings that are falling in!
Peskins building for one,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

#6 Anonymous on 08/23/12 at 11:59 AM [Reply]

Well, its better then what we have now which is.....NOTHING. Laugh at it all you want. I am perfectly aware that it would help to have better leadership but again, if they could get a developer they can REDEVELOP the downdown area. In other words if the right people do the right things then the whole town could look nice as the old Masseys building.And yes I am being perfectly serious about this because I've seen towns just like the shape this on is in updated. I agree with the other comment earlier, if you don't like it here there always Bethlehem where everything is new. Everybody else don't like this town or what I have to say can shove it.

#7 coolbluerick84 on 08/23/12 at 12:06 PM [Reply]

Thank you #6 anonymous. Exactly what I was trying to say. Couldn't said it better. Listen to this person he's smarter then all of you negative libtards.

#8 coolbluerick84 on 08/23/12 at 12:12 PM [Reply]

Now I'm being sarcatic

#9 Well, at least Winder is................. on 08/23/12 at 07:29 PM [Reply]

improving their infrastructure. Not a big fan of Winder but at least they seem to put their money on real priorities, unlike the City of Auburn.

#9.1 Anonymous on 08/26/12 at 12:28 PM [Reply]

True....why on earth would you need a bus system take you from Ingles to Dakotas......well, maybe the owner of Dakotas is tired of his 8 customers getting stopped for DUI every other weekend.

#10 anoncitzen on 08/27/12 at 09:59 AM [Reply]

maybe if more people were seen downtown suppotring the local business' there would be more tax revenue to get better things done.
Shop local people, get haircuts at head games, dine at mike and vales or caseys, etc..

#10.1 Beth on 08/28/12 at 05:48 AM [Reply]

There is NO place to get good service and good prices locally, especially Downtown

#11 Shop local? on 08/27/12 at 05:41 PM [Reply]

My family and I moved to Barrow from the Atlanta area and some of our experiences with local business has been less than positive. We've been in a locally owned restaurant where the owner came out and sat down to chat with friends but ignored us while our tea glasses remained empty far too long.

Another local business owner was vocal about supporting one candidate in an election and bad mouthed the other with malicious gossip that I knew to be untrue as I knew both candidates very well.

A third business owner was given a chance to give me a quote on work I needed done and after a series of broken promises and no quote, I went elsewhere.

Yet another local owned business carries products that are of a lower quality and higher price than a "big box" competitor also located nearby.

Maybe some local business owners need to look in the mirror and ask themselves what they can do to provide excellent competitive service and products, rather than relying on "I'm from here" to bring in and retain customers.

#12 MollyRose on 08/28/12 at 08:49 AM [Reply]

Before I will be shopping in downtown, which is very inconvenient, there will have to be businesses which are worth shopping at.. Downtown is looking much better these days, but it has to be attractive to shoppers. People may not have wanted a Dollar Tree and Hardee's but mark my words, they will be two of the most successful businesses because they make it easy for customers to get to and treat their customers well. I for one cannot wait for the Dollar Tree to open. Small business owners seem to have a chip on their shoulders, insisting people should shop or use their stores, but they don't get it...people have to have a reason to shop there. I've been in Winder quite a few years now and the only store (now gone) I shopped at was Larry's.

#13 The only problems with downtown are........................ on 08/28/12 at 08:25 PM [Reply]

Traffic & parking. Traffic- not an easy fix, understand that. Parking on the other hand - why did they not turn the old Granite Hotel site into a parking lot instead of all sod. Don't get me wrong, the sod is nice & would make for a nice park area, but parking is more important- parking with green space. Think about it.

#13.1 coolbluerick84 on 08/28/12 at 09:21 PM [Reply]

Too tight a spot in that corner. The perfect thing to do would be to build a three to five story parking deck on Winders newly purchased parking lot on Jackson Street(next to the old Peoples Bank Operations center they bought as well) and make downtown parking mostly for the handicapped.

#14 of course on 08/29/12 at 07:43 AM [Reply]

i hope everyone realizes that shortly there is plan to bypass downtown via the expensive bypass that is planned.... so why invest in downtown when the investment is going to BYPASS downtown!!!

#14.1 Joe on 08/29/12 at 09:03 AM [Reply]

There are no plans for a bypass. Those plans were shot down with the tsplost.

Add Comment

Name
Email
Homepage
In reply to
Comment: E-Mail addresses will not be displayed and will only be used for E-Mail notifications.
To leave a comment you must approve it via e-mail, which will be sent to your address after submission.

To prevent automated Bots from commentspamming, please enter the string you see in the image below in the appropriate input box. Your comment will only be submitted if the strings match. Please ensure that your browser supports and accepts cookies, or your comment cannot be verified correctly.

Enter the string from the spam-prevention image above:
Phone*

What is seven minus five?
: Remember Information? Subscribe to this entry

This Week's Poll

Community

Barrow Community

Downtown Winder’s renewal under way?

Barrow Journal

Downtown Winder’s renewal under way?

Recent Stories

Recent Comments

This Week's Poll

Sister Sites

Archives

Community

Keyword Tags