Canal Crossing Work Officially Underway
This article first appeared in The Brunswick News
Work is officially under way on infrastructure for the Canal Crossing retail development.
The activity follows months of delays while developers and Glynn County hashed out a complicated deal.
Jim Bishop, attorney for developer John Callaway, said since contracts were formally signed in June, all systems are a go.
“If you go out there and look off of Canal Road, you can see that work is under way. It’s a coordinated undertaking between the developer and the county,” he said.
The multimillion infrastructure work must be done in such a way that progress can build on top of the progress, Bishop added.
“There’s millions of dollars in the construction work and it has to be phased very carefully so that everybody can do it in a very coordinated fashion. There are two contractors so they have had to coordinate with each other as well,” he said.
Plans for the more than 60-acre, $30 million development call for three other anchor tenants to accompany Sam’s and Hobby Lobby. Sam’s will serve as a cornerstone for the Canal Crossing retail center, which will total roughly 400,000 square feet.
Sam’s will encompass 136,000 square feet of that space with Hobby Lobby committing to occupying an unspecified amount of space in March. Panera Bread, which specializes in sandwiches and soups, and Panda Express will be two restaurants in the development.
Cheddar’s restaurant is also in the works for the site, along with other stores and restaurants.
There will also be an accessory gas station and seven outparcels, in addition to new roads, parking and infrastructure. Canal Road itself will be widened to accommodate the additional traffic. Bishop says in a few months the area will be completely transformed.
“You won’t recognize it in six to eight months. You won’t recognize Canal Road. The county is investing $3.5 million in development and Hobby Lobby and Sam’s are putting in more than $8 million,” Bishop said. “But everyone has been given their marching orders and it’s go time.”
The project is expected to create between 400 and 700 jobs and considerable financial benefits for Glynn County’s tax base, expecting to draw shoppers from outlying regional areas.
The first stores are slated to open in the summer of 2016. Sam’s may take a bit longer since it is the largest store, which is expected to be open in the last quarter of 2016 or early 2017.
This article first appeared in The Brunswick News
