Aldi renovates existing site on Memorial Blvd.
More than a year after initial contact with local officials, Aldi is joining the selection of grocery stores in Waycross.
The Illinois-based chain is placing its outlet in the 1900 block of Memorial Drive in a part of the building that formerly housed Southeastern Credit Union and Sucheros.
Waycross Community Improvement Director Marc Hawkins said the company has already started the process of reconfiguring the portion of the structure. The building still houses Peachtree Immediate Care and Bone Institute of South Georgia.
“We just got all the permits (handled), and they’re working,” said Hawkins, who estimated he’d been in contact with the company for about 18 months in a location search.
Waycross City Manager Ulysses “Duke” Rayford referenced the Aldi store arrival in a Facebook post last month covering a variety of subjects, including the city’s role in businesses chosing to locate here.
Aldi is part of a spurt of economic growth in the city — some already identified while others have secured property without a development plan released. Much of the known and potential expansion, again like Aldi, is on the South Georgia Parkway-Memorial Drive corridor.
Surcheros has moved to a spot farther south on Memorial on the old Ryan’s Steakhouse/B-Mac’s Buffet site. Adjacent will be the location for Jacksonville-based Vystar Credit Union.
Southeastern Credit Union broke ground last week at 703 Knight Avenue for its new location.
Express Oil Change and Tire Engineers is under construction on Memorial across from the Fairfield Inn and Suites, itself just a little more than a year into its operation.
Located beside Ameris Bank on a vacant, 6.63-acre parcel, stands a sign saying “Shopping Center Coming” and containing a phone number with a Jacksonville area code (904). Hawkins said the tract will be developed, but in what manner and when are only points of speculation right now.
A Waffle House is planned for the corner of South Georgia Parkway and Columbus Street. A 5.65-acre parcel across the parkway between Westgate Drive and Phillips Avenue is being cleared for still-to-be-determined development, Hawkins said.
Farther west on the parkway, the building that formerly held a Jerry J’s, is being reconfigured for a Southern Roost restaurant.
Aldi will join Kroger, Food Lion, two Walmart stores and a host of Dollar General properties as city grocery choices. The outlet, along with Publix, has been a preference for respondents when the topic of new grocery stores surfaced on social media.
Currently, the closest Aldi stores are an hour or more away in Brunswick, Valdosta, Tifton, and a host near or in Jacksonville. Those stores are part of more than 2,400 across 38 states, the chain’s website said.
The first opened 50 years ago in Iowa with roots by the Albrecht Family opening the world’s first discount grocery store in 1961 in Germany.
Hawkins said he has no timetable for the store being operational to the public, but guessed six to eight months.
“I think they’re looking at pretty quick,” he said of opening.
Hawkins said the bulk of the work will be with the interior to open the previously divided space and changing the outside to meet the brand’s exterior signature.
Surcheros isn’t far from reopening in its new location. Hawkins said work is being done on its interior at this point. The city has been presented site plans for the Vystar property, he said.
Plans for the Express Oil Change location call for two buildings with the oil change in front and tire portion in the rear, Hawkins said.
He also said the Home2Suites hotel on South City Boulevard next to CVS is nearing a “June-July” completion for a developer from Warner Robins. The facility will add more than 80 rooms to the city’s hotel inventory.
“I think we started with projects for that (property) around 2004,” Hawkins said. “We had three or four site plans (in hand over that time), but nothing ever happened until this one.”
Rumors abound on what the “Shopping Center” parcel will be.
Hawkins said the developer’s history is for “higher end” properties and there have been numerous conversations about plans, but nothing “set in stone.”
Main speculation, Hawkins said, has been an “anchor” restaurant of some level — fast food or dining-bar — or large retailer fronting a strip of small shop spaces.
“There have been lots of conversations, but I don’t think there’s anything in stone,” he said.
As for the areas on South Georgia Parkway, Hawkins said work on the Waffle House will commence when the chain’s new outlet in Blackshear next to McDonald’s is complete.
In the section of the post on economic development, Rayford said, “... private businesses decide where they invest based on market research, demographics, transportation access, workforce availability, competition, and projected profitability. ...
“The city’s role is to support and assist businesses once they choose to invest in our community.”
