REVIVAL REPAIRS BEING MADE
Some work is ongoing on the Main Street side of the Revival. Initial comments on the construction seemed to indicate that the building was not well put together. There have also been comments about 5th floor leaking pipes doing damage to units below.
One item defnitely lacking was any sort of sound proofing. Noise from passing trains and the street noise from Main Street traffic has been an issue since the opening.
Savanna Rhinehart in her Facebook review of Revival on Main gave them 1 star and said in part: “Also had a really bad leak (5th) floor and they did a poor patch job and the leak came back even worse and had spread!!”
Although the saying goes:
"One swallow doesn't make a season". I did come across this 2 day old review of Revival under the new Wilkinson management firm, rated at D+ by the BBB and I thought it might be of minor interest:
"Revival on Main
2825 S. Main Street, Kennesaw, GA 30144
10/13/16
Gaelicuna - Resident Lived Here: 2015 - 2016
I do not recommend this property - Got 1 Star out of 5
DONT rent from this place!! Since veins taken over by a new owner problem are not dealt with in a timely manner and mostly not at all. I've had a neighbor making ridiculous noises to the point it became a screaming match and had to get the law knvolved.
Although situation is hostile management refuses to allow me to transfer to another apt and allow neighbors to continue with their hirror!! If you care about how well a property us managed DO not rent from this nightmare!!! "
http://www.apartmentratings.com/ga/kennesaw/revival-on-main_9199332346275160029/review-111883226/
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1/9/17
Townhomes Add to Downtown Growth
A townhome development recently approved by the Mayor & Council will add another residential option to Kennesaw’s Central Business District (CBD) by 2018. The project, The Terraces at Depot Park, is being developed by Landmark Communities, Inc. and will include 38 owner-occupied townhomes fronting on Depot Park.
The community will consist of 1,800 - 1,900 square foot three-story homes with two car garages priced between $220,000 and $260,000. Infrastructure work is expected to begin in the spring and will be followed immediately by townhome construction. “This project supports our long-term goal for downtown to increase the residential population by offering a variety of new housing,” said Economic Development Director Bob Fox.
Along with the residential growth, the city continues to work toward implementation of the Depot Park Master Plan which will provide a “central green” for hosting special events throughout the year. The plans include an amphitheater, additional parking, walking trails, and a playground along with other amenities. Depot Park will become the focal point of recreation and entertainment that will enhance the quality of life for downtown residents.
Four additional parcels of land are needed to complete the Master Plan. The first acquisition has already been completed with the Council approval of the purchase of 1.8 acres from Landmark Communities. Negotiations are ongoing for the other three. The property acquisition, design, engineering, and construction will be funded by 2011 and 2016 SPLOSTs; development is expected to take five to seven years.
A separate but related element of the project is the realignment and extension of Sardis Street which will be integrated with the development schedule of the Park.
“We want to create the kind of walkable environment that is becoming more and more desirable where residents will enjoy dining, shopping, and recreation right outside their back door,” says Fox.
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Kennesaw Road Improvement Projects Continue
Be patient, local drivers. The detours and closures at various locations within the city you’ve been experiencing are short term headaches for long term benefit. SPLOST-funded road projects are either underway or set to begin in several areas within the city.
Downtown, Dallas Street from Main Street to Watts Drive has been temporarily closed while utility work is completed; both Dallas Street and Watts Drive will be intermittently closed while sidewalks are added and a roundabout is installed. Flaggers will be directing traffic. This project will also include construction of a new plaza behind City Hall. The work is expected to continue through the spring. If you have business at City Hall, take J.O. Stephenson Road to the side parking area; it will remain open and you can exit via Watts Drive.
The Stanley-Collins Road widening and realignment is also ongoing. This project includes the addition of sidewalks and creation of a roundabout at the intersection of Stanley and Collins. Work will continue for at least nine more months.
The project to make safety and operational improvements along the entire corridor of Pine Mountain Road (1.5 miles) is scheduled to begin in the spring. Pine Mountain Road will be widened to three 12-ft. lanes, sidewalks will be added to both sides of the road, and retaining walls will be constructed to minimize right-of-way impacts. Ellis Road will have some safety improvements where it ties to Pine Mountain Road. Right turn lanes will be added to the intersections with Pine Mountain Way and Cobb Parkway.
The project will end at Cobb Parkway and tie into the Cobb Department of Transportation project that will extend the improvements to Stilesboro Road. Expect delays as flaggers control the flow of traffic around the construction.
Other details of the 2011 or 2016 SPLOST projects can be found on the city website, kennesaw-ga.gov, using the SPLOST.
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12/25/16
KENNESAW MARKETPLACE WORK CONTINUES
Christmas Day is a good time to take photos of the $180,000,000 project as there is no traffic there.
Many establishments are still under construction, some are already open in this 450,000 sq ft retail and residential development.
The original CLMHP consisted of 3 separate parcels whose total acerage was 87.02.
1810 OLD 41 HWY Total Acres 1.16
ERNEST BARRETT PKY Total Acres 2.64
1650 N COBB PKY Total Acres 83.2267
The section developed into the Kennesaw Marketplace retail and residential complex is approx 53 acres with 34 acres remaining as the adjoining Castle Lake MHP.
Castle Lake Info is available at these sites:
If you haven't noticed yet - there are quite a lot of restaurants, mostly fast food ones. In the area of Cobb Pky and Barrett Pky there will shortly be 19 restaurants. This is more than can be sustained by the customer base for this area.
Unfortunately I predict that there will be half a dozen going out of business in 2017. Of course many times a location that goes under is replaced by another restaurant that hopes that their franchise will do a better job.
This Castle Lake MHP 87 acre property was divided up, with about 53 acres being incorporated into the City of Kennesaw and the remaining 34 acres, stayed in unincorporated Cobb County.
The smaller parcel being the remnants of the Castle Lake MHP which dates from its opening in 1961 with 377 lots. The bridge ends abruptly at the limit of the developers property. It spans Noonday Creek and the remaining MHP acres will be developed at another time and the bridge will be finished then.
1,500 low income, retirees and Hispanic residents and some of which were trailer owners were displaced by the original Canadian owners in order to develop this property.
The 'Bridge to Nowhere' spans Noonday Creek.
12/19/16
Construction is finished for many retail units at the Kennesaw Marketplace Mall, but some of the smaller units are still under construction.
For information on the Cobb County Superior Court Civil Suit of Lopez, et al v. Castle Lake Homes Corp go to: https://kennesawinfo.blogspot.com/.
This was to be a class action suit with the initial 12 named plaintiffs specified. It now seems that it will settle soon without any ruling on its being granted class status.
Construction continues, looks like someone kicked over a bee hive:
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8/7/16
12/7/16
Kennesaw gives green light to $17M townhome, condo development
By Ryan Phillips, MDJ Contributor 12-6-16
A $17 million residential development in Kennesaw planned for a 4.9-acre tract east of the city’s downtown on Moon Station Road was unanimously approved by the City Council on Monday night.
The proposed development would consist of 30 townhomes and 56 condominiums.
The Kennesaw City Council on Monday unanimously approved a development project that will bring more residential housing to the downtown area.
The council approved the plan to build 30 townhomes and 56 condominiums on 4.85 acres on Moon Station Road — a lot formerly owned by the Prichard family before being sold to Halter Companies and Piedmont Residential, who will serve as developers on the project.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be $17 million.
Documents filed with the city said that the development, construction and sellout will take approximately 24-30 months.
Darryl Simmons, zoning administrator for the city, said after the meeting that the project has been well received and represents a big step toward a more attractive downtown.
“It’s another great opportunity to have a diverse mixture of housing downtown, and this is our first residential and condominium project in Kennesaw,” he said.
Simmons said the move to develop the lot with residential space will work to revitalize the city’s historic district and Main Street areas.
“The project is part of our master plan to have more density downtown and a mixture of residents that will help downtown thrive,” he said.
The target demographic for the new residential development — named Prichard Park — will be professionals who work in the office space in and around the Kennesaw, KSU and Town Center markets, along with pre-retirees, retirees and “emptynesters” in the area.
Market demand is high for the kind of homes that will be in Prichard Park, with a study by Market Advisory Services LLC showing that 373 single-family homes in the area were sold in the $225,000-$325,000 price range during the last 12 months.
The new properties will also help curve the demand for homes in this price range — a market that has seen demand increase over the past three quarters with little supply available, according to the developers.
The developers said initial pricing for the finished product will be broken into three components. The 20-foot wide townhome will cost just under $300,000, while the 24-foot wide townhome will be in the low-$300,000 range.
The condos will range from the low- to mid-$200,000s, depending on size.
The area zoned for the new Prichard Park development was once owned by former Mayor George W. Prichard, who was a two-term mayor in 1898 then again from 1919-1920.
The development’s architecture will be designed with features similar to the look of the former Prichard home on the property, which fell into disrepair and was recently demolished when the property was purchased.
A special plaque will be placed on the property to commemorate the family once the project is finished.
Comments
LEAN TIMES COMING FOR KENNESAW RESTAURANTS
With the opening of additional restaurants in the area of Barrett and Cobb Parkways there will be 19 restaurants North of that busy intersection.
7 restaurants have been on the east side of Cobb Pky for years and now 12 more restaurants will be opening in the Kennesaw Marketplace mall by the end of the year.
This is good for both employment and customers who have a large selection to choose from, but bad for restaurants as there is just so many hungry people out there who want to stop by any of those 19 restaurants.
Early next year you will probably see some of these 19 weeded out, it is a sort of a 'dog eat dog' world where anyone will some capital can open a new restaurant, either as a stand alone or by buying a franchise.
For the holiday season most will make a few bucks, but once things settle down in 2017 you can expect some of this glut of restaurants to be thinned out.
The restaurant business is very volatile, just look up Cobb Parkway a few miles to 2655 Cobb Pky where over the last few years 5 restaurants have been located in the same building in that Windsor Strip Mall. So far the longest to last was Pizza 'N Beyond which was there for 16 months before folding and being replaced some months later by Vida Cafe.
So, eat up folks, but don't count on there being 19 restaurants near that intersection in 6 months.
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Former GOP chair’s case pushed to January ’17
Jon Gargis MDJ 12/2/16
The trial of the former Cobb County Republican Party chairman, who is facing charges that he molested two young boys, has been pushed to next year.
Joe Dendy, 72, was arrested at his west Cobb home in May on charges that he molested two boys in separate incidents. He was indicted in August on 13 charges: four counts of cruelty to children in the first degree and one count each of aggravated sexual battery and aggravated child molestation.
Dendy’s case was slated to come up in Cobb County Superior Court for the trial week beginning Monday, but the case is now set to pick back up in January.
“His attorney is having surgery, he’s complied with the rules, and it looks like the case will be continued,” Superior Court Judge Adele Grubbs told the MDJ Wednesday. Grubbs’ administrative assistant, Peggy Massey confirmed Thursday that the case was ordered continued, with a motions hearing set for Jan. 4. The case could begin in the trial week starting Jan. 9.
The delay in the case means it will be presided over by a new judge, as Grubbs is retiring at the end of the year. Succeeding her and taking over the case will be Kimberly Childs, an attorney elected to the bench in May.
The indictment against him alleges that the earliest incident occurred sometime in late 2004 to late 2006 and saw Dendy take one of the boys into a Cobb department store in order to commit a sexual act.
Another alleged incident of child molestation involved the same boy at Dendy’s Creekview Court home sometime between December 2007 and December 2009. The boy was around 13 years old at the time, according to the warrant filed regarding the incident.
The boy was the focus of another child molestation charge involving an alleged sexual incident that occurred inside a closet at Burnt Hickory Baptist Church in Powder Springs, where Dendy and his wife, Billie Dendy, have been members since 1974, according to Billie Dendy’s testimony at her husband’s bond hearing in June.
The second boy named in the indictment was 4 years old when he was allegedly molested in late December 2011, with the other boy named in the indictment witnessing the incident, according to a warrant in the case.
Dendy led the Cobb County Republican Party from 2011 to 2015. He remains in the Cobb jail after being denied bond by Grubbs back in June.
YVETTE DANIEL, KENNESAW COUNCILMEMBER - TIME TO GO YVETTE!
Here is some more nonsense from and about one racist council member, someone who should never have been elected to the Council. I've said before that she is 10 miles of bad road.
She has a very poor financial record and additionally is a bankrupt and skipped out on her debts owed for her 'pole dancing' salon.
I understand that she stiffed the strip mall owner for over 100K. Do you want to let her continue her antics on the Council and continue to waste taxpayer funds?
See recent updates at: http://catcherfreeman.blogspot.com/
11/21/16
KENNESAW MARKETPLACE MALL
this center was build on 53 acres if the of the old Castle Lake Mobile Home Park. The Canadian slum lords are being sued by 12 former tenants of that area of the park.
The CLMHP still exists on another 23 acres next to the new shopping center. LOPEZ v. CASTLE LAKE HOMES CORP
For information on the Cobb County Superior Court Civil Suit of Lopez, et al v. Castle Lake Homes Corp go to: https://kennesawinfo.blogspot.com/. This was to be a class action suit with the initial 12 named plaintiffs specified.
It now seems that it will settle soon without any ruling on its being granted class status.
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11/4/16
Search Cobb County Records via:
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016
Kennesaw councilman ends stand but repeats message
Dickens: Employee raises should remain priority
Jon Gargis MDJ 10-18-16
KENNESAW — Kennesaw council members on Monday said they were supportive of fellow Councilman Jimmy Dickens’ stand for increased city employee pay, but said they believed enacting such raises was not something that could be done overnight.
At the start of Monday’s city council meeting, Mayor Derek Easterling allowed Dickens to give a public statement, which the councilman used to address a silent protest he began last week for higher pay for those working in the city’s public works and parks and recreation departments, as well as those on the police force. He had stood and remained standing at Wednesday’s council work session to highlight the issue, and he told the MDJ Friday he intended to do so at the council’s meeting Monday.
Dickens, who stood as the meeting began and when given the floor by Easterling, said he would not continue to stand as his standing had “drawn more attention to myself and not the situation,” but added that he still wished to see employee salaries increased.
“I do apologize to the city workers including but not just the police officers who serve this great city of ours that some of them did not get a raise, and they should have,” Dickens said. “The mayor and council, we need to work on that. We need to find ways, even if it’s looking at some of our spending, the way we spend money.”
The City Council last month adopted a $28.3 million budget, which took effect Oct. 1 and included a 3 percent cost-of-living raise for employees. Dickens was among the council members who voted to approve the budget.
“I want to publicly apologize if my vote during the budget caused any of the city employees not to receive their fair pay that they so rightly deserve,” Dickens told those in attendance. “I want the mayor and council to let that be a priority of ours to get that together.”
Councilwoman Yvette Daniel said she agreed with Dickens, adding that she believed the 3 percent increase included in the city’s budget helped bring employees up closer to the salaries at which they needed to be.
“Everybody in the city needs to be brought up, and we need to find a way to do it, and quick. Morale is down,” Daniel said. “We don’t want to lose good officers or employees to other cities because we’re not paying them.”
Councilman Jim Sebastian, the only council member who had served on the council prior to this year, said he believed the cost-of-living increase was a good start.
“There are some years, we never gave a cost of living,” he said. “We’ve been through about seven or eight (tough years in the recession); fortunately for the city, we planned ahead so we really didn’t have to fire anybody, we didn’t have to let anybody go, but we had to re-budget.”
Councilman James “Doc” Eaton lauded Dickens’ effort and passion, but said the city’s options to increase pay were limited.
“I think it’s a very worthwhile cause, but he should have said something during the time when we were passing the budget,” Eaton said. “It’s not like we have a way of generating (more) money. We could raise taxes — that’s going to go over like a lead balloon. We could do away with the senior exemption — that’s going to go over like a lead balloon. That would be the only couple of choices that we’ve got right now to do anything about raising additional funds.”
Councilman Nimesh Patel said he believed Easterling and the council had been constantly looking at salary readjustments, but it was important to enact such changes in a fiscally responsible manner.
“I don’t think it’s going to be an overnight process — I think this is something we’re going to have to all work towards and try to have an action plan, not only for the next three to six months, but the next two to three years,” Patel said. “So doing it across the board tomorrow is not realistic, but I think having a plan we can communicate to the entire employer workforce is something that I think makes sense.”
No proposed action on employee salaries had been on the council’s agenda, nor did council members take any action on the issue.
Among the actions taken by the council were measures that resulted in the city growing by about 16.4 acres, as council members unanimously voted to annex from Cobb County four properties on Ben King Road into the city.
The four properties total about 16.4 acres. Two of them total nearly 15.4 acres and belong to Saint Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, while the other two, each about half an acre, are residential properties.
Council members also agreed to rezone the four properties, though the approved rezonings maintain the properties’ current uses.
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KENNESAW’S NEWK’S EATERY OPENING SOON
The Kennesaw Marketplace retail development, on the site of the old Castle Lake Mobile Home Park on Cobb Parkway, already has a Starbucks open for business, soon to open just across from the IHOP will be the Kennesaw Franchise of Newk’s Eatery (aka: KMH Dining Group, Inc.).
The franchise owners for this location are Missy Moon and Robert K Estapa. The location at 1975 Cobb Pky, will have a liquor license for beer and wine.
The area around Barrett Pky and Cobb Pky will have 19 restaurants open by the end of 2016.
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10/7/16
Kennesaw OKs new downtown development
Anthony White MDJ 10-5-16
KENNESAW — A proposed 38-townhome community at Depot Park received the go-ahead from Kennesaw City Council Monday.
The council voted 5-0 to approve construction of the residential development, known as The Terraces at Depot Park, on a 2.8-acre tract on Sardis and Main streets in Kennesaw’s Central Business District.
Mayor Derek Easterling said he was excited about the project, which he said fits with the city’s “Livable Centers Initiative and adds more residential density downtown.
“Projects don’t get any better than this one,” Easterling said. “It continues the vision that we have for the city, downtown and Depot Park. The completed project will offer homes that front the southern end of Depot Park and our downtown, connect to the trail system and pedestrian underpass, and are walkable to downtown businesses.”
The development’s three-story homes will have about 1,900 square feet of living space, two-car rear-loaded garages and terraces overlooking the park.
Construction of the townhome community is expected to cost $8 million, said Skip Harper, president of the project’s developer, Landmark Communities of Marietta. The price of townhomes in the development will range from $230,000 to $250,000.
“We anticipate beginning development in April 2017, completing infrastructure by October, then starting construction of our fee-simple townhomes immediately,” Harper said. “The first ones will be available by April of 2018.”
Part of the Landmark’s deal with the city includes selling Kennesaw 1.8 acres near the townhome site for the further development of Depot Park.
“The city has been assembling land for the Depot Park master plan, and our parcels were a logical addition,” Harper said.
The land will be offered to the city at the price Landmark purchased it.
“We assembled eight parcels surrounded by South Main Street, Sardis Street, Depot Park and the railroad totaling 4.8 acres,” Harper said. “We are selling two tracts totaling 1.8 acres to the city. One will be for a new ‘Gateway Park’ located at the corner of Sardis Street and South Main (replacing the old retail buildings) and another to be a future phase of Depot Park.”
As required for projects developed in the city’s Central Business District, the townhouse community had to be reviewed and approved by the Kennesaw Downtown Development Authority and the Historic Preservation Commission prior to seeking the council’s approval.
On Sept. 13, the Kennesaw Downtown Development Authority recommended approval of the project with a 10 percent rental cap that restricts the number of townhomes being rented by homeowners to no more than four homes at any one time.
On Sept. 20, the Historic Preservation Commission approved the development’s concept for property.
According to Harper, the townhome community’s architecture will mimic some of the older structures in downtown, and the development’s lighting, crosswalks and roundabout will blend with the city’s public infrastructure.
“We get to build a true downtown community with the added amenity of being located adjacent to their flagship park,” Harper said.
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10-3-16
Downtown townhome development on Kennesaw's council agenda
Anthony White MDJ 10-3-16
KENNESAW — The developer of a proposed 38 townhome community at Depot Park received two of three necessary approvals earlier this month from the Kennesaw Downtown Development Authority and the city’s Historic Preservation Commission. Monday, the Kennesaw City Council will consider giving the project its final approval.
Landmark Communities of Marietta has proposed construction of the residential development, The Terraces at Depot Park, on a 2.8 acre tract on Sardis and Main streets in Kennesaw’s Central Business District. The development’s three-story homes will be 1,800-1,900 square feet with two-car garages on the rear of the homes.
According to Skip Harper, Landmark president, the price of the homes will range from $220,000 to $260,000.
Projects developed in the city’s Central Business District are required to be reviewed and approved by the Kennesaw Downtown Development Authority and the Historic Preservation Commission.
On Sept. 13, the Kennesaw Downtown Development Authority recommended approval of the project with a 10 percent rental cap that restricts the number of townhomes being rented by homeowners to no more than four homes at any one time.
On Sept. 20, the Historic Preservation Commission approved the development’s concept for property.
The development has also been recommended for approval by Kennesaw’s Zoning Administrator Darryl Simmons.
Kennesaw Mayor Derek Easterling said he is excited about the project, which “fits with our Livable Centers Initiative and adds more residential density downtown.
“Our goal is to offer residential options in a range of housing types, and at different price points,” Easterling said. “Landmark Communities worked with us to design townhomes which are consistent with the area’s architecture and historic look and also allow us to move our Depot Park Master Plan forward.”
The development will also have a mandatory homeowners association responsible for the maintenance and management of the property.
According to Harper, if the project is approved by the city council, Landmark Communities expects to “commence the development as soon as the city of Kennesaw issues a land disturbance permit.”
The development phase is expected to take approximately six months and the project should be completed in two years,
“The completed project will offer homes which front the southern end of Depot Park and our downtown, connect to the trail system and pedestrian underpass, and are walkable to downtown businesses,” Easterling said.
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9/29/16
The 3 Hour Limit parking signs are up but still covered. These around the Revival on Main St complex:
Davey Crockett asked Jim Sebastian on his Wiselike Site:
REVIVAL ON MAIN STREET, Kennesaw, Ga.
What has been accomplished in the renting of ground floor retail units at the Revival On Main Street complex?
This question has been asked before and indications were given to City that there were several inquiries and the Revival management was working on getting those units rented.
As we know and as I had commented at the time, this was simply smoke and mirrors and there was nothing being done and in fact the developer had added those retail spaces only to secure easier approval by City for their apartment building.
As of August 10, 2016 Wilkinson Real Estate Advisors, Inc, is managing this complex and residents would like to know what steps the new management is taking to get small businesses into those retail units.
Wilkinson has a very poor track record and the BBB rates them as a D+, various consumer sites are full of complaints about their management of other of their properties.
Kennesaw let the prior management skate on their unverifiable claims for ‘potential’ tenants, will City now, finally, press Wilkinson and their Regional Manager Debra Millwood, on this issue and let them know that the City expects them to make serious efforts to find retail tenants for these ground floor spaces?
Prior inquiries had gotten the reply that City could not 'make' them rent out the units as they were a private firm. I thought that was a very poor reply. I always thought that Teddy Roosevelt had the right idea when he said: "Walk Solftly but carry a big stick". If Wilkinson knows that City is serious about the rentals they will get it done, but if City continues to keep its head in the sand then those units will remain empty forever.
Further info at:
Kennesaw is located in the northern part of Cobb County, Ga, it is part of the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. It was founded in 1887. During the Civil War, Kennesaw was the staging ground for the April 12, 1862 Great Locomotive Chase. If you have…
DOWNTOWNKENNESAW.BLOGSPOT.COM
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Get the Story about Kennesaw
The new owners know they are paying taxes and other costs on the property whether it is rented or not thus money is being left on the table. Negotiations with previous interested parties and new prospects are being worked on aggressively. Further, they realized the previous rental rates offered were somewhat out of line and have adjusted to more current market rates.
Again, as before, the City is working closely with owners, agents and prospects to bring long-term prosperous businesses to downtown. New City ordinances on multi-use developments deny Certificates of Occupancy on the last 20% of the residential units until all retail portions have been completed, inspected and approved to White box status.
White box status is all or part of a building with a minimally finished interior, usually with ceilings, lighting, plumbing, heating and cooling (HVAC), interior walls (painted or unpainted), electrical outlets, elevators, rest rooms and a concrete floor.
9/27/16
COMING TO DOWNTOWN KENNESAW
