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new amenities and brightening the 32-yearold
structure.
“Libraries are a beacon of hope in our
community. They are a place where people
come to learn about different topics and
where they come to learn about themselves,”
Cobb Commission Chair Lisa Cupid said at the
start of the day’s ceremony.
According to Cobb County Manager Jackie
McMorris, the county’s “central flagship
library” ... “now known as the Charles D.
Switzer Library,” has been on its current plot
since 1989, “serving as a major community
focal point and historic downtown Marietta
landmark.”
From 1963 to the move to its current
location at 266 Roswell St., Marietta, Switzer
was housed in the old Marietta post office,
now the home of the Marietta Cobb Museum
of Art, just off Marietta Square, McMorris
said. In the summer of 2013, she said Central
Library was renamed the Charles D. Switzer
Library in honor of the longtime library trustee
and community volunteer.
McMorris also noted that Switzer Library
Station, the company announced.
North American Properties plans to give a
facelift to the 22-year-old shopping center by
building a “central event lawn surrounded by
restaurants with vibrant patios,” introducing a
concierge program and bringing community
events.
The 230,000-square-foot shopping center
is located near the intersections of Roswell
and Johnson Ferry roads.
“Our plan is to create a socially magnetic
place that pulls people together to hang
out and connect with community,” Adam
Schwegman, partner and senior vice
president of leasing at NAP, said in a news
release. “East Cobb is home to an incredible
population of families who are looking for
places to go and things to do, yet it lacks any
resemblance of a downtown. Utilizing best
practices from our other projects, we are
excited to elevate this already great shopping
and dining destination into a modern
gathering place.”
NAP hopes to sign leases that will bring
new retail and “chef-driven” restaurants to
create “street-level energy” and improve
walkability.
The shopping center’s retail tenants
currently include Bed Bath & Beyond, Gap,
Lululemon, Pottery Barn, Sephora, Williams-
Sonoma and Ann Taylor. Dining options are
mostly chain restaurants — they include
Panera Bread, Kale Me Crazy, Menchies and
Tin Lizzy’s Cantina.
NAP’s announcement initially described
the project as an “acquisition,” but later
clarified that it was not buying the property
but entering into a joint venture partnership
with PGIM Real Estate, the current owner.
As part owner, NAP will oversee leasing and
management of the property. The property
was previously managed by Poag Shopping
Centers.
The nearly 30-acre property, developed
by Cousins Properties in 1999, was sold for
$94.25 million to a division of PGIM in 2006,
according to property records.
NAP is also the developer behind
Midtown Atlanta’s Colony Square, as well as
Alpharetta’s Avalon development.
Tim Perry, a managing partner at NAP, said
in the release that shopping centers such as
The Avenue East Cobb “were designed to
fill gaps in the market — the retail deserts
between regional malls — by providing
outdoor shopping for the community.”
“As these communities have matured
around them, they became the center of the
community and while The Avenue East Cobb
has remained a high-performing asset over
the years, NAP sees an opportunity to elevate
the destination into a true third place with a
modern mix of retailers and restaurants,” he
said.
now houses a larger Georgia Room, home to
local historical artifacts, and is the new home
of the Windy Hill Library, which serves those
with special needs. The Windy Hill Library
was relocated to a dedicated accessibility
services room at Switzer from a community
center in Smyrna.
State Rep. Teri Anulewicz, D-Smyrna,
called Switzer a “third place,” a place where
the community comes to gather and one that
is accessible to everyone.
“Libraries are the most genuine and
essential place we have in our communities,”
she said. “We demonstrate our commitment
to our communities through how we
demonstrate our commitment to our
libraries.”
Developer plans facelift
for Avenue East Cobb
shopping center
The Avenue East Cobb will be revamped
by the developer behind Atlanta’s Atlantic
Avenue East Cobb
60 COBB LIFE | SEPTEMBER 2021