Northlake Business Association founders to renew community backing

Brad Spratte, owner/operator of the Northlake Chick-fil-A and Charles DeWitt, CEO of Resurgens Bank, both located on Lavista Road at the Northlake Tower Festival recently organized the Northlake Business Association (NBA) with Brian Mock, General Manager of the Hampton Inn. This is a seminal event for a commercial area that has never had business-level advocacy, standing in contrast with Tucker’s business organizations. NBAs formation was coincident with the “annexation” of the Northlake LCI/Zoning Overlay District (see www.nlake.org ) into what is now the Tucker-Northlake Community Improvement District, although there is no affiliation between the two.

Even with the 14-year Northlake Community Alliance (NCA) providing focus for street and transportation “works”, advocacy for the area has had limited impact with property owners, governments and in fact, area residents. More affluent local residents have been slow to inquire about and embrace a Town Center strategy—and work for it. As an example, of a love/hate relationship with the large business center, some cityhood advocates have recently stated that the business center and nearby Henderson/Montreal are out of character with what Oak Grove and Toco Hill supposedly represent—yet feel compelled to include it in an “ITP City” map. This perhaps is one reason that Spratte and DeWitt’s NBA have no position on whether any cities should be formed here—being needlessly divisive.

I interviewed the Chick-fil-A operator, Lakeside High School graduate and Oak Grove area resident via e-mail this month. With that opportunity, Spratte articulated what only a resident and someone whose livelihood heavily depends on nearby commercial love can: a passion, and indeed a need for Northlake’s transformation and return to local homeowner’s center of attention.

1)  You are a business owner and a resident as well (as is Charles DeWitt). I'd like to mention that, but do you have anything to say about how that shapes your attitude and goals? What share of your members are also residents nearby?

“Tom, I am not certain how many members of our association are also residents. What I will say is that regardless of whether or not they live in the area – they are major stakeholders in its success and truly care about its’ future. Having grown up here, I realize how important Northlake is to the surrounding community. We want it to continue to be a great place to live, as well as a great place to work.”

(2) Difference between NBA and the CID in terms of what you intend to do?

“The NBA is made up of business owners. Some of the business owners are also property owners. The CID is made up of property owners who have agreed to pay more in taxes in order to see improvements made to the area. Ultimately, the business owners foot the bill – making a significant investment in the future of Northlake. The NBA intends to speak on behalf of the business owners in matters that affect the Northlake trade area. Over time we will work to effectively promote our area and provide additional resources to our members.”

(3)  Is the formation of NBA a response to problems or a vision for the area and business activity? As a vision, is there any current example(s) that you can point to? Ex: as a destination; Ex: more customers living within walking distance; Ex: more daytime employee customers?

“We formed the NBA to lend a voice to the business owners on matters that affect our trade area. As business owners, we want to work together to build a better Northlake. We envision an area that is clean, safe, well landscaped, and walkable. Imagine what our area will look like in ten years if our county, our residents, and our businesses work together to make improvements – now imagine what it will look like if we do nothing.”

(4)  How would you compare your level of comfort with the area around your former Tucker store and your Northlake location?

“I think both areas have huge potential. Tucker has done an incredible job with its streetscape improvements and landscaping. I could see where Tucker could attract a lot of young people who are looking for that urban feel. The CID partnership between Northlake and Tucker should significantly help the Northlake area set the stage for significant economic growth.”

(5) Are you in any sense disappointed in what you have found since opening your store vs what you had anticipated? Any surprises? 

“Northlake has seen significant growth over the past three years. We have had multiple new businesses, including many national brands, that have located here in the past three years. Our area is ripe for growth. Not only are we strategically located but we are also in a very supportive community – whose support has exceeded our expectations.”

(6) Are there any weaknesses in the market in terms of income levels or ability to sustain a desirable level of consumer activity?

“I believe that our district is located in one of the best demographic areas in metro Atlanta. With the formation of the community improvement district, the area will only get better and become more desirable from both a residential standpoint and a business standpoint. A vibrant commercial district leads to higher property values. The Northlake community has a lot to look forward to.”

(7) Any difficulty in matching business supply to what people need and want here? (are we exporting customers)?

“Certainly, people are going to shop in an area that meets their needs. As a commercial district, we want to meet everyone’s needs. With the improvements that will be made over the next few years, we hope to attract the businesses that people will want to shop thus negating the need to travel to other areas to get what they are looking for. Northlake can be a great place to do business but it has to be safe and it has to be kept clean. The CID and the NBA will work hard to make sure those two things happen.”

(8) Was the market assessment originally done by your corporate office accurate vis a vis your experience over the past two years?

“Chick-fil-A has wanted to be in Northlake for many years but was unable to find the right site that was easy to access and had high visibility. When the current site became available – they jumped on it. You have to remember that Chick-fil-A was in Northlake Mall for 37 years. That mall produced a lot of Operators and employees for Chick-fil-A. Many team members that served in that mall now work at the corporate or have become Operators. Chick-fil-A has deep roots in our area and was extremely excited at the opportunity to serve this community when the property became available.”