After a few weeks of discouraging setbacks, Fort Oglethorpe Mayor Ronnie Cobb's optimism has returned for Project Hilltop.
The mayor said local officials and an unnamed company could strike a memorandum of agreement "within the week."
The mayor remained mum on the identity of the city's suitor in the development, which would be built at Interstate 75 and Cloud Springs Road, but Costco Wholesale has been identified in previous open meetings.
What appeared to be the last major hurdle was cleared for the project when local officials got formal state approval for a traffic signal on Cloud Springs last week, Mr. Cobb said.
"That was a biggie," he said.
Local officials were supposed to meet Friday with a company representative in Atlanta, but bad weather canceled the representative's flight.
A contract was supposed to have been finalized in December 2009 with the retailer opening in early August, according to officials. Those same leaders now acknowledge the opening date now is pushed back toward the end of August or early September.
On Monday morning, a Costco spokeswoman declined to discuss any specific markets and would not confirm any talks about a Northwest Georgia location.
"Our corporate policy is to not comment on specific markets," said Costco co-founder and Chairman Jeff Brotman in an e-mailed statement.
Next, the mayor will meet with North Georgia Electric Membership Corp. officials about moving utility lines and await the rescheduled meeting with the company representative, he said.
Andy began working at the Times Free Press in July 2008 as a general assignment reporter before focusing on Northwest Georgia and Georgia politics in May of 2009. Before coming to the Times Free Press, Andy worked for the Anniston Star, the Rome News Tribune and the Campus Carrier at Berry College, where he graduated with a communications degree in 2006. He is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration at the University of Tennessee ...
Or login with:
New Account