Aiken Mall developer could soon reveal two more tenants

Aiken Standard reporter

Aiken could soon learn the names of two more restaurants to be located at the redeveloped Aiken Mall.

Councilwoman Gail Diggs asked Jason Long during Monday evening's Aiken City Council meeting if he could tell her the names of any more tenants for the mall.

Long is a vice president at Southeastern, the company leading the redevelopment effort.

Southeastern has already announced two tenants: Tropical Smoothie Café and Chicken Salad Chick.

Long said he had two more signed letters of intent to enter a lease but did not yet have signed leases. He added he could reveal the tenants once the leases have been signed. Long said both companies that signed a letter of intent are restaurants and do not have locations in Aiken.

Councilwoman Lessie Price asked Long to explain how Southeastern created the name for the redeveloped site. It will be known as Aiken Towne Park.

Long said the name was developed by Southeastern employees to reflect that a park will lie in the center of the development. He added the employees wanted to create a name that they wouldn't regret five years later.

Aiken Mayor Rick Obson asked how the building of the park was going.

Long said it was coming along.

Long and Southeastern were before the City Council on Monday to receive approval for the facades of four buildings, Buildings A, B, E and F, to be built on the site.

Buildings A and B are being built behind Red Lobster and Bank of America.

Buildings A and B are to be approximately 5,200 square feet and feature drive-thrus. Building A is expected to be nearly 33 feet tall while Building B is only expected to be 30 feet tall. The facade plans call for white brick, fiber cement cladding and a combination of a metal and shingle roof.

Long said before the Aiken Planning Commission that Chicken Salad Chick and Tropical Smoothie Cafe would be located in these buildings.

Buildings E and F, are to be constructed beside the existing Belk store.

A road will be built between Belk and Building E. Building F will be further south, between Building E and the expanded Julep Way.

Building E is to be 12,400 square feet and 26 feet, 4 inches tall. Building F is to be 11,550 square feet and 26 feet, 4 inches tall. Both would have similar facades to Buildings A and B.

The city council voted 5-0 to approve the first reading of an ordinance approving the facade designs.

Councilwoman Andrea Gregory made the motion to approve. Diggs seconded her motion. Councilwoman Kay Brohl and Councilman Ed Girardeau did not attend the meeting.

The council also voted to approve the second and final readings of ordinances:

• Rezoning North Aiken Elementary School and Aiken Intermediate School to allow for the construction of a bus parking lot near the schools; and

• Amending the city's budget to add $172,015 to fund a school resource officer at Chukker Creek Elementary School.

The council voted to continue the second reading of an ordinance approving amendments to the city's comprehensive plan.

The council also approved first reading of an ordinance amending the city's budget to include police officer and dispatcher raises, improvements to the gym floor at Smith-Hazel Recreation Center and two new employees at Hopelands Gardens.

The council voted to approve requests, resolutions and petitions:

• To provide additional sewer services to Shaw Industries;

• To accept a Federal Highway Administration grant for the city's Safe Streets and Roads for All Program;

• To accept a South Carolina Department of Parks Recreation and Tourism grant for an outdoor basketball court at Smith-Hazel; and

• To accept a deed of dedication for water and sewer lines at University Lane Townhomes.

The council received presentations from Partners in Friendship regarding Orvieto, Italy, and about the city's Northside neighborhoods.

The council also met for a work session to discuss its pension plan, the new water treatment plant and to discuss available opioid settlement funding with Margaret Key, executive director of the Aiken Center.

Between the work session and the meeting and after the meeting, the council met in executive session to receive legal advice on contract negotiations and to receive an update on the Project Pascalis lawsuit.

Aiken Standard reporter

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