Edgewood Plaza Auction

From The Herald Bulletin:

"The nearly vacant Edgewood Shopping Plaza on Nichol Avenue — a property that has been targeted by the city for redevelopment — will be on the auction block next week."

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The 92,321-square-foot retail shopping center is nearly vacant. Only three businesses on the plaza’s western end are still in operation, and much of the property is in disrepair.

Jerry Harkness, who owns the Sports Arsenal shoe store, says that the prospect of a new owner is positive.

“I’m pretty optimistic because I just think things are going to get better here,” said Harkness. “They say Anderson falls, but it always comes back pretty strong.”

Harkness said that his fellow Edgewood Plaza business owners are optimistic about the auction. He said that a group of potential buyers visited the property Monday.

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Anderson Mayor Kevin Smith has presented conceptual plans for the plaza that would turn it into a retail mecca. But Smith said that the city would have to find a developer capable of developing more than just the plaza, because the goal is to redevelop the entire southwest corner of Nichol and Raible avenues.

A few thoughts: 1) too bad no one thought to ask the other mayoral candidates what they thought (hey, the subject got a short treatment at the candidates forum); and 2) we hope someone with some ambition does buy the area.