Seven Hills Town Center proposed for 411/Callier Springs

>590,000 square feet of retail included in proposal. Larger image: Click Here

The above drawing sketch shows the heart of Seven Hills Town Center, a proposed retail center soon to go before city/county planners. The site is just west of the East Rome Wal-Mart SuperCenter, starting at Callier Springs Road and moving west toward the new Holiday Inn Express rising next to Country Inn & Suites.

The proposal, on file with the planning department as of Monday, is massive itself.

The application comes from Rome attorney Scott Smith of McRae, Stegall, Peek, Harman, Smith & Manning. We have calls into Smith as well as Rick McBride of Montgomery, who's identified as a partner in Commercial Land Venture LLC.

The basics:

>It bundles more than 70 acres just off U.S. 411, including the work being done by the Evans family across from Tractor Supply Co.

>Other owners identified on the rezoning/annexation paperwork include G.H. Riddle, the Summer family, Rome Land Co., Oliver and Nina Booker.

>Several pieces of property are being assembled from larger tracts owned by the Evans family to some as small as just under an acre.

>The developers--Commercial Land Venture LLC--is seeking both annexation of some tracts intothe city and an overall rezoning as a planned development.

What's included (so far, no names):

>Two 100,000-square-foot anchors on the east and west ends of the property. Assume big-box developments such as a Target, Kohls or maybe Best Buy.

>A 60,000-square-foot anchor. Our immediate guess: Publix?

>A series of  "junior anchors" ranging in size from 12,000 to 45,000 and 50,000 square feet.

>Several 20,000-square-foot anchors and a cluster of 8,000-square-foot stores.

>Six outparcels lining U.S. 411 of one-acre of so (fast food, bank offices perhaps?)

>A "lifestyle center" featuring 80,000 square feet.

>At least 2,655 parking spaces

What's next:

>This is just the opening round. The development will need to go through a scheduled series of zoning and annexation hearings, and then mostly likely before the city and county commissions. Given the tract's size, the regional development center likely will be involved as well.

>As that progresses, the developers will need to get commitments from the major and junior anchors.

>Will it be Target, Publix, et al? We continue to hear Target has a Floyd County site under consideration in 2010 or 2011. A Kohl's rumor is out there, too. Best Buy has been looking at our market since the East  Rome Kroger jumped Turner McCall four years ago.