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www.MyMCR.net • Vol. 47 • No. 15
4 Sections • 28 Pages • Wednesday • April 11,2018
FIRE ON THE SQUARE
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
Angie Ellis, owner of
Flowers by Helen, stood
outside her building in
tears early Tuesday morn
ing as firefighters cleaned
up from the fire that rav
ished her business. She said
the building is a total loss
and will have to be gutted,
but she will be back.
“We came back a little
better after the Grits fire,
and well come back a little
better again,” she said. “But
this is the last time.”
Flowers by Helen has
been at the same location
on Johnston Street on the
square for about 22 years,
a landmark where people
came to find those their
floral arrangements for spe
cial days or to make days
special. Ellis is know for
partnering with Monroe
County Schools and other
groups in Monroe County
to make sure special events
have an appropriate deco
rative touch.
Ellis said the shop won’t
be able to handle its orders
for the Mary Persons prom
next week: “Everything
burned up.”
But after news of the fire
broke, several property
owners offered her places
to move Flowers by Helen
while the extensive work is
done to restore the burned
building.
“I just can’t decide where
to go, yet,” Ellis said apolo
getically, even though the
See FIRE • Page 2A
MONROE COUNTY DEVELOPMENT
A break-through
on 1-75’s east-side?
By Will Davis
publisher@mymcr.net
A nearly $6 million
project that includes a
new convenience store,
Huddle House, Papa
John’s and Zaxby’s could
open in Forsyth as
early as January, a Mc
Donough developer said
at a ground-breaking with
Monroe County officials
on Monday.
Developer Tushar Patel
of McDonough said the
project on the former site
of the Regency Inn motel
on Hwy. 83 at 1-75 should
be ready to open in Janu
ary 2019. Patel said this
will be his fourth such de
velopment, joining similar
projects on 1-75 exits in
Griffin and Barnesville.
Demolition crews have
worked on and off for the
past year to remove the
old Regency Inn from the
property, located on Hwy.
83 on the east side of 1-75.
The new development,
dubbed Project Chicken
by the Monroe County
Development Authority,
will be the first major one
on the east side of the
interstate on Forsyth’s big
gest exit. Officials say the
project may open up even
more growth in the oppo
site direction of Forsyth’s
busy Hamburger Hill.
That’s one reason the
authority, with city of For
syth and Monroe County
support, agreed last
year to loan the project
$200,000. Patel is slated
to repay the loan via new
sales tax revenues from
the project to the city and
county. Authority presi
dent Bo Gregory said they
were able to offer the loan
under a state program
aimed at re-developing
blighted properties. The
dilapidated motel earned
the property the blighted
designation, and the
$200,000 loan helped off
set Patel’s cost to demol
ish it. Patel said the loan
also encouraged him to
make a bigger investment
in Forsyth, as the project
has ballooned from a $3
million investment to a
$6 million one. Contrac
tor Jimmy Salvador said
See DEVELOP • Page 4A
From left, authority president Bo Gregory, chairman Tom
Baugh, member Jim Cole, mayor Eric Wilson, developer
Tushar Patel and county commission chairman Greg Tapley
break ground on Monday for the $6 million project.
INDEX ► ►►
MONROE COUNTY DEVELOPMENT
MCR VENT. 3A
Opinion & Letters 4A
Sports 1B
Community Calendar. 4C
Church News 5C
Public Record 3B
Classified ID
Legals 2D
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'0 4879 16264
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So. Monroe cool to affordable’ apartments
Plans for apartments on New Forsyth Road are sparking opposition.
By Richard Dumas
forsyth@mymcr.net
An Alabama development
company has asked Monroe
County for permission to build
a new 72-unit apartment com
plex on New Forsyth Road just
north of the Bibb County line,
but opponents are mobilizing
saying it will hurt property val
ues and cause traffic problems.
Vantage Development, EEC
has filed an application with the
Monroe County zoning office
for a conditional use in com
mercial to build a multi-family
development. The proposed
complex would consist of 12
one-bedroom units, 40 two-
bedroom units and 20 three-
bedroom units. According to
the request, the complex would
feature “upgraded site and
unit amenities with social and
educational programs offered to
residents.”
Wilkerson Group, LTD is
listed as the property owner of
the 18.5-acre, triangular-shaped
tract, which is located just east
of New Forsyth Road and abuts
the Cross Creek subdivision.
Wilkerson Group, FTD bought
See APARTMENTS • Page3A