Emory Village's vacated gas station is now for sale, with an asking price of $2.5 million, according to its real estate listing.
Jimmy Parson owns and operates the gas station, which was first built in 1934 and was put up for sale around October, according to Alliance to Improve Emory Village (AIEV) Chair Todd Hill. He has owned it for 34 years, according to the Virginia Highlands/Druid Hills Patch. Since the property closed about a year and a half ago, Parson has been deciding what to do with the station.
Yellow tape and traffic cones have since blockaded the area, which is located next to Doc Chey's and Falafel King.
Located in the center of the commercial district next to the Emory Village Park, the .22-acre former Chevron gas station is one of the largest properties in the Village, according to the Virginia Highland/Druid Hills Patch.
"The gas station is a little bit of an unsightly situation," Hill said. "I'd love to see something happen there. We don't want vacant storefronts, which send a negative message to visitors and the community."
Parson declined to comment.
The possibility of another business replacing the gas station may add to Emory Village's numerous recent transformations, including the construction of a roundabout and plaza, more sidewalks and an influx of new restaurants and businesses.
The Village's 2007 overlay district, a document containing local zoning restriction regulations that the AIEV submitted to DeKalb County, technically does not allow gas or service stations.
But Parson owned the station before the overlay district was set, so his business was grandfathered in. Because of this, he is the only individual permitted by the overlay district to own a gas station in that location.
AIEV Vice Chair Cynthia Tauxe said she feels that businesses other than a gas station may attract more bikers and walkers.
"We want something more pedestrian-friendly," Tauxe said. "It's a very exciting property, right next to the Emory Village Plaza. We're trying to make it more attractive."
The Village's overlay zoning does not allow businesses like day-care, liquor stores or drive-through restaurants in the commercial area, but College junior Ben Cheng said he would like to see something new.
"I want to see something that would draw more students to go to the Village," Cheng said. "I feel like Emory Village is not as appealing as other areas around colleges."
Hill said he would like to see more unique businesses, like the new Ink & Elm restaurant and lounge.
"We want to keep the character of the Village, not dominate it by national chain stores," he said
College sophomore Max Goodley said he would like to see a record store or video store in the Village.
– By Sonam Vashi
