A new development on Bent Creek Road will bring three new restaurants and retailer to Auburn.
The Auburn City Council approved the development of a project called Restaurant Row at Auburn Exchange, which will bring three new restaurants and one retailer to Exit 57 on the corner of Bent Creek Road and Auburn Exchange Drive.
The expected turnaround for the development is six months, according to the developer Ray Jones.
Although the restaurant tenants have not been announced yet, Phillip Dunlap, Auburn’s director of economic development, said the completed project will include a seafood restaurant, a sushi restaurant and a barbecue restaurant.
“We modeled it after Ogletree Village, which is where Tuco’s is, like how they have the awning, patios and breezeway underneath,” Jones said. “We really tried to elevate the aesthetics of it.”
This location is between both Tiger Town and Auburn’s central business district. And it will be in front of two large retailers, Sam’s and Academy Sports + Outdoors, with interstate accessibility, which will hopefully help drive traffic, Jones said.
“If you’re coming from the east, this property is the gateway into the city, so we wanted to build a nice-looking building that somewhat mirrors the surrounding tenants,” Jones said.
The project will add additional eating establishments at Bent Creek Road, which will create synergy with the new hotels at that location as well as complement the other existing businesses, Dunlap said.
Dunlap added that the addition of new restaurants will give the citizens more variety.
“We feel our citizens want additional opportunities,” Dunlap said. “This project will create those opportunities. We do expect a positive reaction. Our citizens want and expect us to work with the private sector to create new restaurant opportunities.”
This will be a new development that will also create employment opportunities as well as tax revenue to enable the city to provide quality public services to our citizens, said David Dorton, the city’s director of public affairs.
“Any good commercial project brings new jobs and amenities for Auburn residents, as well as contributing to the tax base that supports schools, public safety, infrastructure and parks, recreation and culture activities,” Dorton said.
Auburn is undergoing a lot of commercial development and redevelopment right now, Dorton said. This includes a project at the Auburn Mall and along Opelika Road, on South College Street, downtown Auburn and more, all of which impact jobs, the economy and choices for residents and visitors.
“We certainly hope that these are successful businesses for Auburn from all of those perspectives,” Dorton said.
Jones said the city was very good to work with.
“We’ve got to of the best economic development people in the state Megan McGowen and Philip Dunlap, because they’re pro-business and they always help however they can,” Jones said.
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