Downtown
Gadsden is a thriving retail and business district, undergoing a remarkable
transformation during the past decade. In 1993, the newly formed Downtown
Gadsden, Inc. reclaimed downtown as a centerpiece for the city’s
economic progress.
Since then, 95 new businesses
have opened in the central business district and 398 building improvements
have been completed. The new private-sector
investment exceeds $26 million, stimulated by a public investment
of more than $5.5 million. Now, the occupancy rate exceeds 90%. Click
www.downtowngadsden.com for more information.
Gadsden Mall has
almost 500,000 square feet under roof, with 40 stores including three
major department stores and a 16-screen
cinema. Local “big box” stores include two Wal-Mart supercenters,
two K-Marts, OfficeMax and Lowe’s. There are numerous strip shopping
centers throughout Etowah County.
Local “big box” stores include two Wal-Mart Super Centers, two K-Marts, OfficeMax and Lowe’s. There are numerous strip shopping centers throughout Etowah County.
Gadsden’s Commercial Development Authority is attracting additional retail stores to the city. The 300,000-squarte-foot Coosa Town Center is home to Old Navy, TJ Maxx, Shoe Depot, Petco, Goody’s, Rue 21 and more. Riverview Plaza has Hobby Lobby, Kirklands, Tuesday Morning and Super Dollar Tree, among others.
Click www.gadsdencommercial.com for more details.
A planned development along the banks of the Coosa River includes a Chili’s Restaurant, The Fish Market Restaurant, and contains water features, a boardwalk, pavilion, new landscaping and future plans for a nature park and walking trails.
The Noccalula Gateway Shopping Plaza, which is in the process of a major renovation, is home to the new 40,000-square-foot Marvin’s Home Center that relocated to the plaza in March 2007 and was the catalyst for redevelopment of the entire plaza.
Academy Sports, Inc.
occupies the former Lowe’s location with an 85,000-square-foot facility,
and is one of its largest facilities in Alabama.
Downtown Attalla has become a regional center of antique stores. Mountain
Top Flea Market, also in Attalla, attracts more than 1,500 dealers with
2.6 miles of shopping. Additional information is at www.cityofattalla.com/html/business.shtml.
