Politics & Government

DeKalb Farmers Plans Massive Expansion

The retail space would go from 140,000 to 518,000 square feet.

is one of the best-known shopping spots in metro Atlanta because of its huge selection of fresh foods and United Nations-like vibe.

Now the cavernous store just outside Decatur wants to take a giant step and quadruple in size, according to the website Skyline Views.

The farmers market wants to add 518,000 square feet of retail space to the 140,000 square feet it already has, according to an application the farmers market filed Friday with DeKalb County for a Development of Regional Impact (DRI). These are for projects so big they'll affect surrounding local governments.

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It also wants to build a 718,367-square-foot warehouse and add 2,637 new parking spaces. It already has 763 spaces.

No blueprints or drawings were included with the application.

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The farmers market popularity has grown along with the public demand for fresh, organically grown food.

The store calls itself "A World Market" and is famous for its international flavor, with a staff from almost every nation in the world and flags from around the globe hanging from the ceiling.

The farmers market website provides this quickie history lesson of the store:

The Dekalb Farmers Market began on June 2nd, 1977 as a small 7,500 sq. ft. produce stand in Decatur, Georgia. Since that humble beginning, we have grown into a 140,000 sq. ft. true world market serving up to 100,000 people per week. The original founder and owner of the market, Robert Blazer, is still in charge of operations along with his wife, Barbara, and son, Daniel.

This would be the second major development planned just outside the city limits of Decatur. Developers plan to renovate the .


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