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Discover
Mills Mall means
$6 million more in sales tax
By
Elliott Brack
editor and publisher
GwinnettForum.com
Oct. 31, 2001 -- Gwinnett gets its third major mall Friday morning,
with the opening of Discover Mills. Tuesday we visited the shopping
complex, amid the scurrying of workmen rushing to get the retail
stores ready for customers at 10 am Friday.
Do you realize just what a addition a new retail shopping center
is for a county? If Gwinnett voters OK the extension of the sales
tax for education in voting on Tuesday, the county will reap tremendous
benefits.
With Discover Mills estimating annual sales of more than $300 million,
the sales of the mall combined with the sales tax, means $3 million
for the School Board, and another $3 million for county infrastructure
each year! Wow! It's quite a plum.
But back to the about-to-open Discover Mills: the layout is with
a circular mallway. We walked the entire distance. Officials told
me that the circle is 1.2 miles of inside walking. Strolling along,
and dodging workmen, it took me 19 minutes. For sure, it'll take
you longer when shopping.
With the circular pattern, it doesn't matter which of the many
entrances you take, if you plan to walk around the entire circle
of stores. However, remember the store where you entered, or else
you'll be hiking forever looking for your automobile!
Already open were several food outlets, with a Chili's going full
blast serving mall construction workers and about-to-be store clerks.
Meanwhile, some stores were fully stocked, ready to open, while
others had merchandise stacked everywhere. Some were still installing
shelving, restaurant equipment, or at the Johnny Rockets, taking
applications. It all reminded a person of a beehive.
Take cash with you when you go. After all, we noticed that the
money dispensing machines, all operated by American Express, had
a $2 fee. So, if you withdrew $20, that would be a whopping 10 percent.
Be warned!
We talked with Dennis Connolly, who has been in charge of getting
the mall built. He says this was "the best opening I have ever
seen. Why, we could actually open today, three days ahead of time."
He anticipates that customer will be pulled from throughout the
entire metro area, and beyond. Indeed, signage already up anticipates
this, with tour buses being directed to special parking places.
Now that the mall is built, Connolly, who lives in Virginia and
has been on premises four days a week, and his construction managers
are priming for their next assignment. "Looks like I'll be
spending time at new projects near Yonkers in New York and the Meadowlands
in New Jersey," he said.
Here's something we learned: Connolly and his building staff get
their assignments for their new posts immediately after the opening.
It's something like the Army, or a Methodist minister getting a
new assignment. From now own, Discover Mills matters are handled
by Octavio Ortiz, the general manager, who has been on site for
several months. He most recently opened Concord (N.C.) Mills, and
has been at Grapevine (Texas) Mills and Sawgrass Mills in Florida.
A good feature of Discover Mills may be its affiliation with the
Georgia Sports and Music Hall of Fames, who each at a presence at
the mall. Look down while walking around, and see the "Stars"
of Georgia in plaques on the floors.
Somehow, we kept thinking about that $6 million Gwinnett sales
tax benefit. Discover Mills adds to the Gwinnett sales tax allure!
ADDED FEATURE:
Tourism group having
golf tourney
saying 'business as usual' in Gwinnett
The Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau will hold its first
Golf Tournament on Wednesday, November 7, 2001, at the Hamilton
Mill Golf Course in Dacula.
GCVB Sales Manager and tournament coordinator Mary Osterloh, notes
that "We think a day of golf, food and networking is a great
way for us to bring together the hospitality and the business communities
and get the message out that it is business as usual in Gwinnett
County."
The shotgun start, four-person scramble tournament also offers
golfers a chance to win two grand prizes - $10,000 cash or a Dyer
and Dyer Volvo S40 - for the two Hole-in-One contests. Additional
contest holes will award additional prizes, including airline tickets,
weekend getaways and spa packages.
Registration packets can be received by calling 770-814-6049, or
they can be requested via email at mosterloh@gcvb.org.
FEEDBACK
10/31: Agreement on
school tax increase
Editor, the Forum:
After reading your editorial suggesting people vote "Yes"
for the one per cent sales tax extension for schools, I have this
to say:
For once we agree on the need for a tax increase or at least the
need for keeping an old tax increase.
-- Jim Hood, Lawrenceville
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
More on patriotism
"Patriotism is proud of a country's virtues and eager to correct
its deficiencies; it also acknowledges the legitimate patriotism
of other countries, with their own specific virtues. The pride of
nationalism, however, trumpets its country's virtues and denies
its deficiencies, while it is contemptuous toward the virtues of
other countries. It wants to be, and proclaims itself to be, "the
greatest," but greatness is not required of a country; only
goodness is."
-- Sydney J. Harris (1917-1986), British-born
U.S. journalist(1982).
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