I have my fingers crossed.

Now THIS is what I'm talking about. Wal-Mart may help to bring those larger merchants back to our corridor. Remember what Stone Mountain/Memorial Drive USED to be? We can restore our neighborhood, and Wal-Mart took the first step.

While I am not 100% convinced that a WalMart is right for this site, it certainly is better than what is currently there. I am cautiously optimistic.

Thanks for the comments everyone. April and Marguerite, in Memorial Drive's heyday, was there a large discount retailer such as Walmart in the corridor? I've heard that there were stores such as Home Depot, Pier 1, etc.

I hope that this means more businesses i.e. Staples, Target, TJ Maxx type come to enhance that strip area. There used to be Marshall's, shoe stores and many businesses in the hey day. Glad to see Wal-Mart made a move. I hope they don't close the one on Rockbridge Rd. on 78 because of this though.

Great points, April. It's because of the infrastructure, etc. that you mentioned, I do see so much potential in that corridor (beyond the proposed new Walmart).

Brad, thanks for your comment. Re: creation of other businesses....I keep going back to what Everest Institute has done to the area of Wesley Chapel near I-20. Although there are still some vacant/run-down structures around, the school's presence has put a more life there, with a new Subway, Little Giant grocery store, Planet Fitness gym, and Comcast moved in across the street last year.

Memorial Drive's downturn was precipitated by construction of the median and recession of the early 1990's. During weekly shopping trips along Memorial Drive we visited the following businesses, now closed:

North side:
Drug Emporium / Ace Hardware (at recent count, nine churches in that shopping center), Big Star grocery (now a Kroger), Oshman's sporting goods, Aspen Bookstore, Pike's Nursery, Hall's Flower Shop (still here, thank goodness!), Pace Membership Warehouse (now a self-storage facility), Lionel Playworld (now a Publix), the bagel shop @ Hambrick, a traditional hardware store, Winn Dixie (now an Office Depot), Wolf Camera (now a tattoo shop), Service Merchandise / Circuit City / Turtle's Records (now D&K), Steak n Shake, sometimes Hooter's (loved the oysters and wings and the waitresses were very sweet to our daughter). Across 285, Home Depot (the original, first location! and Roberd's Appliances which have been replaced by a VERY CONVENIENT DeKalb govt service center.

South side:
On the South side of Memorial, we stopped at Kinney Shoes, Color Tile, the Book Nook (relocated to Druid Hills @ Clairmont), Kroger, K-Mart, Steak 'n Ale (although I never like that restaurant) replaced by a $3 car wash, KMart, Sportstown & Famous Footwear (now the DeKalb alternative campus), a short-lived seafood restaurant (now Enterprise Car Rentals). We also purchased our waterbed at Kelly & Cohen, which was long ago replaced by a lottery / liquor store.