After years of discussions, alterations and ownership changes, the site of Lakeshore Mall in Gainesville finally has a clear direction.
The Gainesville City Council voted Tuesday to approve rezoning allowing for Atlanta-based Branch Properties to re-imagine the mall as a mixed-use development. Gainesville City Manager Bryan Lackey said Thursday that the project has been a long time coming.
“It’s been quite the process,” Lackey said. “Branch Properties bought it from another ownership group that really had no vision, just wanted to keep operating (the mall) as it was. They had, we think, some plans to chop it up and make some out parcels, which was not what we wanted.”…