Developers with Oakland Plantation are making big plans in West Lee County. Some construction efforts have already begun.
The sizable development is located near the intersection of US Hwy 82 and Oakland Crossing Drive. Only one commercial operation has opened in this area so far, which is the Splash Zone Express car wash.
That will change soon enough as excavators and construction equipment are already on part of the site, preparing the ground ahead of building construction.
An excavator and other construction equipment is seen on the site along U.S. Hwy 82 in West Lee County.
The Stoplight Proposal
According to the sign posted at the intersection of US 82 and Oakland Crossing Drive, a stoplight to help deal with traffic into and out of the area has already been proposed. This would be primarily helpful in aiding with reducing traffic speed along the highway.
A handful of parcels are shown as available to be developed, according to the sign documentation. However, this may have changed with the current construction efforts.
A conceptual design of a large store in the center of the complex is shown in the renderings, but there is no word on what would actually be potentially built there.
A sign showing a proposed stoplight and outparcel divisions of the land along U.S. Hwy 82 in West Lee County.
Land Divisions
Much of the land is divided into outparcels sized between around 1 acre and 1.5 acres. The concept design’s outlook describes the land as a handful of individual land parcels that surround a larger storefront with a large parking lot.
While construction is in progress on some parts of the site, official future location names have not been publicly noted.
What do you think of this development in West Lee County? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Days of demolition in Leesburg are revealing progress on a newly proposed apartment complex and mixed-use building project within Leesburg city limits. Crews have been on site at the corner of Walnut Ave and Robert B. Lee Drive for weeks as they tear down old buildings to prepare the land.
According to zoning documents filed with the city of Leesburg, developers are requesting the land at 259 Walnut Ave. to be rezoned for the building of the project. This would allow for commercial business space with loft residence units above in one building, and for a 125 unit apartment complex across five 3-story buildings.
The mixed-use commercial space would allow for multiple businesses to operate individually across 6,000 square feet of space. Plans show at least two residential loft units would be available in that building.
A rendering view of the proposed mixed-use building and apartment complex behind it from along Walnut Ave in Leesburg, GA.
Applications filed with the city also show the 125 unit apartment complex would consist of 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom units throughout the proposed buildings. The complex front would be along Walnut Ave.
In order for the new apartment complex and business space project to continue, the city and county must approve zoning changes to the property and other variance applications for the amount of total units and other building needs by the developers.
An overhead map that shows the property location in relation to other Leesburg, GA landmarks in the area. Image courtesy of developers.
For these applications and requests, the Lee County Planning Commission and the City Council of Leesburg will hold public hearings.
The Lee County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 6:00 pm in the Opal Cannon Auditorium of the T. Page Tharp Governmental Building, located at 102 Starksville Ave N in Leesburg. The Planning Commission will make its recommendation at this hearing.
Later, the City Council of Leesburg will hold a special called public hearing on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 at 6:00 pm at City Hall, located at 107 Walnut Ave N in Leesburg.
Meetings of the Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners are open to the public.
The planned construction comes on the heels of months of work underway in Downtown Leesburg, as the city and developers are working to bring new life to that area. Crews are working to restore an old building that will eventually become the home of a new restaurant, next to Bloom Flower Bar. A completion date has not been given on that project.
What do you make of the proposed construction in Leesburg? Share your thoughts in the comments.
In South Georgia, people want more entertainment options – and that’s okay, because we tend to want more than what we have. Social media does a good job of reflecting this. If you look at the comments of business posts from 229 Life, there’s a recurring theme: “What about a Dave & Busters?” So to get some clarity, I asked ChatGPT about opening a Dave & Busters in Albany and what it would take. I even got citations so I could know what was real. Here’s what I found out.
It all started with one prompt that expanded into some follow up questions. I kept it simple and generic in this case:
The Question:“I live in a place that does not currently have a Dave & Busters nearby. What would it take for a Dave & Busters to open where I live?”
The results were informative and eye-opening, and I’ll be linking the proper citations for reference. Here is a summary of the reply.
The Answer:“For a Dave & Buster’s to open in your area, several factors would come into play, including the following…”
1. Market Demand
Population Size: Dave & Buster’s typically targets larger cities or areas with high population density. They look for locations where there is a significant customer base of families, young adults, and corporate professionals.
Demographics: They consider median age, income levels, and a population that enjoys entertainment options like arcades, dining, and sports bars.
2. Competition
They evaluate the local market to see if there are existing entertainment venues, arcades, or sports bars that might pose competition. If the market is already saturated, they may look elsewhere.
3. Real Estate Availability
Dave & Buster’s requires large spaces, often over 25,000–40,000 square feet. They typically locate in malls, retail parks, or standalone buildings in high-traffic areas.
Nearby amenities, parking availability, and accessibility (like being near highways) are also important.
4. Local Business Environment
Zoning Regulations: The location needs to comply with local zoning laws for a restaurant and entertainment venue.
Permits and Licensing: Operating a business with arcade games and alcohol requires special permits, which vary by city and state.
Economic Incentives: Sometimes, cities provide tax breaks or incentives to attract large businesses like Dave & Buster’s.
5. Corporate Strategy
Dave & Buster’s expansion plans are determined by their corporate priorities and budgets. They tend to focus on cities that align with their growth strategy.
A view of a Dave & Busters location in New York City.
Okay – With this beginning, I now needed to know the following:
What is the minimum population most-likely needed to facilitate the opening of a new Dave & Buster’s?
What is the median age and income needed from my local population for a Dave & Buster’s to survive and thrive?
Would a city of around 100,000 people align with their corporate strategy?
Here is a summary of the reply to these follow-up questions, and I have included links to references.
1. Minimum Population Requirement:
Dave & Buster’s typically seeks locations with a daytime population of 700,000 to 1,000,000 within a 10-mile radius. This criterion ensures a sufficient customer base to support the venue. (Reference)
2. Median Age and Income:
While specific median age and income thresholds are not publicly detailed by Dave & Buster’s, their core customer base includes:
Age: Primarily individuals aged 21 to 50.
Income: A typical customer has an annual household income of approximately $61,000. (Reference)
These demographics suggest that areas with a substantial population within this age range and income level are more likely to support a successful location.
3. Suitability of a City with 100,000 Residents:
A city with a population of around 100,000 may face challenges in meeting Dave & Buster’s typical market requirements. However, the company has explored smaller venue formats suitable for markets with populations between 200,000 to 500,000, with an average target of 400,000. (Reference)
Given this information, a city of 100,000 residents might not align with Dave & Buster’s standard expansion strategy. However, if the surrounding metropolitan area or neighboring communities collectively contribute to a larger population base, it could enhance the feasibility of establishing a location in your vicinity.
For a more precise assessment, consider evaluating the combined population within a 10-mile radius of your city to determine if it aligns with the company’s market criteria.
Back to the question: Does South Georgia present a viable spot for a new Dave & Buster’s location?
According to the information we found, even the biggest cities in South Georgia would not likely be selected for a Dave & Buster’s location. As of this writing, the closest Dave & Buster’s location is 150 miles away from Albany, GA.
So what can South Georgia cities do?
This is a great question. And the answer is A LOT. Local and regional developers who don’t have the responsibility of catering to corporate and shareholder interests can much more easily build and succeed in cities across South Georgia.
With fewer needs to be met, developers with the right strategy can essentially “skip the line” since they have little to no corporate hoops to jump through. As long as a business plan is correctly implemented with regard to the population and demographics of South Georgia cities, local and regional developers have a fighting opportunity. And that opportunity is bringing quality and sustainable entertainment choices to places like Albany, Moultrie, Tifton, and beyond.
Additionally, many times business growth is dependent on the current success of other new businesses in the area. Two of the largest projects in the Albany area are the new Academy Sports + Outdoors next to the Albany Mall and the newly divided parcels at the corner of N Westover Blvd and Meredyth Drive in Albany.
The success of these locations and the businesses that occupy them will help determine the future success of the companies and businesses that choose to build next in South Georgia.
What do you think about South Georgia’s prospects for new local entertainment? Share your thoughts in the comments.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources confirmed Thursday that a hunter-harvested deer has tested positive for the state’s first identified case of the deadly Chronic Wasting Disease.
The positive test came from a 2-year-old male white-tailed deer that was hunted on private property in Lanier County in south Georgia. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is taking additional samples from the area and has established a management territory that touches a five-mile radius around the location of the positive sample.
“I want to assure our hunters that deer hunting will continue to thrive in Georgia, despite this current discovery,” Georgia DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon said. “Working together with our hunters and all Georgians, we will manage CWD and maintain healthy deer herds.”
Georgia’s deer hunting season ended for firearms Jan. 12, but archers can continue to harvest deer until Jan. 31.
Georgia is the 36th state to have a deer test positive for a disease that is not known to be transmittable to humans, but the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that hunters test their animal prior to consuming the meat.
Originally reported in the western United States in the 1960s, the disease has slowly spread to the Southeast in recent years.
Chronic Wasting Disease is similar to the fatal mad cow disease that briefly caused a public panic after an outbreak in the United Kingdom during the 1990s that eventually resulted in the first North American case in 2003.
However, in contrast to CWD, mad cow disease can make humans sick if they eat infected beef.
In addition to being spread by an animal’s bodily fluids, the current threat can also remains highly contagious for many more years in soil and plants.
As part of Georgia’s efforts to minimize an outbreak, lawmakers in 2022 gave the state wildlife officials more power to limit the movement of deer, moose, elk, and caribou carcasses around the state and counties bordering Georgia where positive tests have been confirmed.
Prior to eating deer meat, hunters are also advised to store their venison in the freezer and wait to see if test results come back negative. The public is also encouraged to report roadkill deer and deer displaying unusual behavior to their local wildlife district office.
The biggest defense to mitigate the spread in the earliest stages of detection involves intensive testing and limiting the movement of deer to other places. The long-term affliction can only be diagnosed by examining the animal’s brain after its death.
Georgia has banned the transportation of live deer species from other states since 2005 and has other restrictions on how deer, moose and elk carcasses are handled.
In areas where CWD exists, public health officials also recommend more stringent deer processing.
This story comes to 229 Life through a reporting partnership with Georgia Recorder, a non-profit newsroom covering the state of Georgia.
Welcome to the South Georgia Roundup, where we take a look at the most important stories and things that happened over the last week or so across South Georgia.
SevenBrew Coffee (finally) opens its new location in Lee County
The location sits next to the Raceway gas station has seen a steady stream of cars filing through its double lane drive thru. SevenBrew’s main offerings include over 30 flavors for drinks as well as hot and cold coffee drinks, energy drinks, fizzy drinks, cold brew, and smoothies & shakes. They also hosted a special “Swag Day” at the new Lee County location on Saturday 1/18 where they gave away a free SevenBrew t-shirt with any large drink purchase. [SEE FULL POST]
Orthopaedic Associates in Albany is closing after decades in business
The longtime Albany business opened in 1958 and served clients and patients for the next nearly 7 decades. In a post to friends and the community on social media, Orthopaedic Associates said they were sad to have to close, and blamed rising costs as part of their decision.
The iconic Albany practice will close its doors for good on April 30, 2025. They stopped seeing new patients as of January 10 and will also stop performing surgeries as of January 30, 2025.
Orthopaedic Associates thanked all their patients and staff for their support over the years. You can read the entire statement in the photos of the original post. [SEE FULL POST]
Books-A-Million opens new larger location in Albany
Located between Hobby Lobby and Petsmart, the new BAM! boasts thousands more square feet of space for books and noticeably larger sections around the store.
Inside the store is bright and roomy with lots of space to explore books and gifts. Notable sections of the store include a best sellers section right at the front of the store, a large games and gifts section, and a large “Faithpoint” section with Bibles and books.
One part that is no longer part of the bookstore is Joe Muggs Coffee, the coffee shop and cafe for many legacy Books-A-Million locations. What do you think of this new Books-A-Million location in Albany? [SEE FULL POST]
New all-you-can-eat Asia Buffet restaurant opens in Albany
The new buffet location is large and welcoming, with lots of seating for groups of all sizes. Booths flank the interior and outer walls of the restaurant and tables that can seat 8 or more are plentiful on the interior. The newly built Asia Buffet has opened to the public at their location in the shopping center between Golden Corral and Guang Zhou.
Guests are greeted at the entrance and hosts take them to their table. Once seated, servers take drink orders and diners can then visit the buffet. The buffet area has three main tiers including hot and freshly cooked varieties of classic Asian dishes, a salad and dessert bar, as well as a sushi and hibachi grill.
Guests can visit one of the buffet sections to choose from a variety of uncooked meats and vegetables before taking them to an on-demand hibachi chef who will prepare the selection. The rest of the buffet is available for return trips as desired.
The atmosphere is big and roomy, and the seating is new and comfortable. The restaurant was about half full at the time of our visit but did not feel loud or imposing. Asia buffet is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. What do you think about Asia Buffet opening? [SEE FULL POST]
Albany pizza icon reopens under new name and location
The former Brothers Pizza has rebranded and opened up a new pizza shop as Gianna’s NY Style Pizza & More. The original owners opened their new shop inside the Shell gas station near the corner of Old Dawson Rd and North Westover Blvd.
Guests can order all their same pizza favorites at the new location. Gianna’s Pizza accepts call-in and in-person orders. There is no cafe so all orders are made to-go.
The owners tell 229 Life they still make their own dough from scratch and serve all their customers’ favorite NY style pizzas and calzones each day. What do you think about the new Gianna’s NY Pizza in Albany? [SEE FULL POST]
![The New Albany Buffet Everyone Is Talking About & Other Things Happening [ROUNDUP]](https://229life.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/new-asia-buffet-albany-01-768x432.webp "The New Albany Buffet Everyone Is Talking About & Other Things Happening [ROUNDUP]")
