Demolition of Garden Hills Strip Mall Delayed by Holidays

Photo: The Garden Hills Cinema before the Dec. 4, 2013 fire. Credit: Patch File

The former home of the Garden Hills Cinema, which was gutted by a fire over a year ago, remained standing on New Year’s Day 2015 despite hopes that the structure would be gone before then.

Brand Properties, which owns the burned out structure at 2815 Peachtree Rd., report that the holiday season threw a wrench into their plans to complete demolition by the end of 2014, but president Michael Hoath told BuckheadView that they expect the process to begin within a matter of weeks.

The strip mall was severely damaged by a fire on Dec. 4, 2013. Although the fire was contained to one location inside the structure, the fire caused an estimated $1.4 million in damages and the remaining tenants in the strip mall have since left the building.

Patch reported in September that Rex Bray of the Planners and Engineers Collaborative applied for a demolition permit for the 23,785 sq. ft. building, and the sidewalk, curbing, asphalt, paving, and utilities on the site on Aug. 11. Brand Properties, doing business as Gardenbrand, LLC is listed as the property owner. The estimated cost of the demolition is $200,000.

Hoath told BuckheadView in September that the insurance company had declared the building a total loss after months of contentious negotiations. Hoath said that he has received interest from retailers who wish to occupy the Peachtree Road location, but has not solidified any plans yet.

There are no immediate plans to replace the strip center with any new construction, BuckheadView reported back in September.