Michaels Moving to The Avenue
The crafts retailer is relocating from the nearby East Cobb Crossing Shopping Center and into the former Borders bookstore space.
Photos
For more than a year, East Cobb shoppers have wondered what might go into the vast, empty space vacated by Borders when the book retailer went out of business.
East Cobb Patch also solicited reader preferences, but for many months more no official word was forthcoming.
But on Monday, The Avenue East Cobb made official what had been rumored to be the case for months: a nearby Michaels store was relocating, bringing its specialty arts and crafts inventory to a space where once books were sold.
A spokeswoman for The Avenue said Monday that Michaels will re-open in the fall, but that a specific date has not been determined.
Michaels has been located the East Cobb Crossing Shopping Center just a block away on Roswell Road, at the northeast intersection of Johnson Ferry Road, in a retail center with Sears as its anchor.
In the former Borders space, Michaels "will offer a bigger, brighter classroom space, a dedicated framing kiosk, and an exciting, fresh product mix of floral, jewelry-making and scrapbooking supplies for hobbyists and home decorators," according to a release issued by The Avenue management.
Michaels has more than 1,000 stores nationwide, including 10 in metro Atlanta.
In This article
-
-
-
The Avenue East Cobb
4475 Roswell Rd, Marietta, GA -
Michaels
4281 Roswell Rd, Marietta, GA
Erin Stewart
8:25 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Very disappointing to hear this. Most of us (east cobbers) would rather have a book store or a sporting goods store.YES, A BOOK STORE OR A SPORTING GOODS STORE... PLEASE.
Paul The East Cobb Liberal
9:20 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Sporting goods maybe. But a bookstore? After Media Play, Bookstar and Borders all went belly up in this area? And Oxford died in Atlanta. On-line sales are ripping the retail book business to shreds.
Billy Beru
8:27 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
The Avenues are becoming just another strip mall...one mediocre store at a time.
Chris Simpkins
9:51 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
So now we'll be tripping over their tacky sidewalk craft displays when we walk past Michael's? It's as if the owners of The Avenue *want* to kill it.
Craig Sager
11:15 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Sporting Goods store would have been a HUGE success in this area and in that prime location. I personally was hoping most for a Senor Frogs or Margaritaville in the lot haha :)
Catherine
11:21 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
After visiting the Town Center Michaels store, I'm excited about the move to the avenue. The store is larger, brighter, more space in the isles and in general, the store is a much nicer set up. While I would have loved a Hobby Lobby, I will take an improved Michaels. Glad to see that in this economy Michaels is in a position to relocate. Maybe a sporting goods store will move into the old Michaels space. And it will be nice to have the empty space filled again! Some people will fuss and fume about everything...especially in East Cobb where so many are so use to getting their way!
lisa56
11:21 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
I haven't noticed a lot of book stores or sporting goods stores jumping at the chance to move into that space since Borders closed. Be happy that the space has been leased and the owner can keep from leasing to lesser quality retailers. If you don't like Michaels don't shop there. If their outside displays bother you close your eyes as you pass. There are plenty of us who are happy to have a new, larger Michaels in the area.
Chris Simpkins
6:06 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
The issue with Michaels' outdoor displays is not that they're eyesores, it's that they're obstacles. Michaels is designed for strip malls where you park your car, go into one shop, then return to your car. The Avenue is designed to encourage walking around. Imagine what it will be like to walk from Williams-Sonoma to Pottery Barn on a busy day when the sidewalk in front of Michaels is jammed with shoppers/browsers and Michaels' displays.
I'll admit I'm bitter. I really dislike Michaels, and I really miss Borders. I remember the weekly chess club at Borders, meeting neighbors to study or play board games the Borders cafe, and taking the kids to Borders for book readings. With its broad appeal Borders was the perfect anchor for The Avenue. With its very narrow appeal Michaels is just about the worst.
JD
11:23 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
If they MUST move to this building space, could they at least open up and staff more than 2 cash registers at a time? I stopped shopping there because the checkout was as long as the shopping experience. It also seems like the quality and the selection really fell off in recent years. They might also consider hiring FRIENDLY workers to help you find what you're looking for in the store. Too bad...E Cobb could have supported a lot of different types of stores in that space.
Craig Sager
4:04 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
You don't see to many sporting goods stores in the area jumping up? That doesn't mean they shouldn't. I'm sorry but there is not a Dicks Sports Authority or Academy anywhere near the area and with high school sports in every season and the Fact that East Cobb is a huge little league baseball hub. I could not find one reason why it wouldn't work. And the fact that there aren't others around here is not a reason for that side anyway. That just shows it would be the sole provider
Ken Dirks
5:33 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
If Dick's or Academy believed that opening a store in East Cobb would benefit their bottom line, they would obviously do so. I don't have much need to shop at Michael's, but I am pleased that a large vacancy will be filled, that hopefully additional local neighbors will be hired, and that additional sales revenues and sales taxes will flow into East Cobb. I realize they currently have a local store, but I am assuming the Borders space is larger and will generate greater revenue and require more employees
Phil McKracken
10:43 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Get a life you moaning Myrtles. Someone wants to occupy prime real estate that has sat vacant for far too long. No bookstore has worked there. It's not like the Pink Pony has decided to set up shop in the Avenues-though I would at least point out that they'd be able to source their apparel from the nearby Victoria's Secret...
Yes, in case you were wondering, this is completely tongue in cheek. This thread is the most ridiculous thing I've read. Just be glad someone wants the space.
Paul The East Cobb Liberal
9:18 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Phil, I hear you. This thread is East Cobb faux angst in classic form. Next crisis up will be a Chardonnay shortage at Trader Joes.
Laura
8:04 pm on Sunday, March 3, 2013
OMG! The avenue has been slowly going down hill for awhile, so sad! I used to like to shop there now I just go to BB&beyond . The avenue pretty much just sux now.