By Sandy Sanders
President Richard Nixon said my time was up in the United States Air Force in October 1969 after three years, five months and six days. My release says “due to budgetary limitations.” I had worked myself up to four stripes but the pay was not all that good so I am sure it was not just me that my government could not afford. Back home, I went to the one place I had always loved, my local newspaper. I was hired selling ads for a group of five South Georgia weekly newspapers.
With yellow legal pad, rate card and a pen I set out for the big city of Valdosta. One of my first stops was 5 Points Shopping Center and to Renee Fashions. I met the owner, he was very gracious and I sold him my first ad. His purchase gave me confirmation that my career choice was right. I went next door to another dress shop and sold an ad for my papers there as well. My day was really looking up.
Both of these stores sat between Belk’s and JCPenney. The next year, I remember my wife and me shopping at Belk’s where I bought my first and only “Members Only” jacket. Both of the big box stores bought ads because this was at a time when store managers placed their own local advertising.
The movement of stores to 5 Points and to other local strip centers came at the expense of Downtown Valdosta. Sears was the anchor for the shopping center on Patterson which is now VSU property. The first part of Castle Park opened on Ashley.
Everything was well for Valdosta’s three shopping centers until the mall came to town. All of the big box stores quickly made their way to the new shopping concept. I think it is ironic that the very latest shopping adventures are in Lifestyle Centers which is back to the strip-center concept.
We had a short boost to 5 Points during the Pick’n Save era when the Wal-Mart-like retailer moved into the JCPenney building. After their store chain closed, the big boxes remained empty until Big Lots moved into the Belk’s building. That is pretty much the last major activity in the area.
We have all wanted to see something happen at 5 Points. Driving by, anyone can see the great potential the property holds for this community. I have been mad along with many others when possible ventures there have failed because the owners did not want to sell. If we are honest with ourselves, we have also said that of many other pieces of property in this town. More than once, I have heard someone lament, “we will have to wait on a funeral or two before something will happen.”
It is not as if we have filled up every available piece of land and cannot make a progressive move in this community without the 5 Points property.
The leaders of the City of Valdosta are convinced the Five Points property is so valuable to them they have decided to take it. Today, commercial retail real estate is not the most exciting investment one can make but two, five years from now an investor might say Five Points is the best area for a Town Center. This would then become a very valuable taxable investment in our community. Like it or not, we should wait here as well. My question to our city leaders is this: if this land was not owned by an out-of-town family, would you be as quick to look at condemnation? Or would we be satisfied in waiting for a funeral?
