Southwest Decatur grocery store and plaza have new owners, plans for renovations

Sep. 2—The recent sales of a Southwest Decatur shopping plaza and the grocery store that is its largest tenant will lead to updates of aging properties but keep the grocery a neighborhood market concept, people involved in the transactions said.

Dan Eight LLC acquired the Austin Plaza property at 1209 Danville Road S.W. for $1.21 million on Dec. 15, according to Morgan County records. The plaza fills most of the southwest corner of Danville Road and Eighth Street Southwest.

Champion Food Value, a tenant in the plaza, was sold Aug. 25 by Jamie Parker to an investor group led by Sam Mohsin.

Parker said she had owned the market for 19 1/2 years after purchasing it from Mark Champion in 2004 and wanted to find a buyer who would be the right fit.

"I was wanting to find someone who would keep it as a neighborhood grocery store because the neighborhood has been good to me," Parker said. "We're all busy people and the convenience of a corner, neighborhood grocery store is very important."

As she ran a cash register Friday while continuing to help operate the store during the ownership transition, Parker said she's glad Dan Eight plans to renovate the shopping center.

"It's going to be bigger and better. That thrills me they are willing to invest in the community and the shopping center."

Sam Mozeb, a broker with Access Real Estate in Decatur, handled the sale of the plaza, which includes a car wash, the main strip shopping center and the standalone business Smoke Up. The Goode Tax building on the same corner is separately owned.

Mozeb said the goal is to give the plaza "a facelift and reimagine the front" and get it looking like "a modern shopping center."

Facades above the plaza's brick buildings don't have a uniform color, with red, gray and blue schemes scattered through the property.

"Right now it's got the old '60s look on it," Mozeb said.

Joe Burns, previous owner of the plaza, said the new owners are "going to really make it nice."

Asked why he sold the property, Burns replied, "I'm 88 years old. I'm selling everything I ever owned."

Mozeb said renovations probably won't begin for six to eight months because he's balancing improving tenants' spaces with keeping the plaza affordable.

"We just have to take very cautious steps because of community businesses that are there and how it will affect them," he said.

Parker, 63, said she wanted to sell Champion Food Value because she is taking care of her mother. She said the business has about 13 full- and part-time employees, including five of her family members who are staying through the transition. She said the sale price is confidential.

Parker said she developed close relationships with customers during her two decades of ownership and they even have prayed for one another.

"We've all grown to know each other and love each other," she said. "I will miss the people."

Mohsin said he is keeping the Champion name for now and will not change the grocery store's philosophy. "It's the only market around here for the community," he said.

From Oakland, California, Mohsin said he is considering relocating to Decatur. He said his investor group also owns Little Giant Smoke & Gas, which handles Sunoco gas at 14th Street Southwest and Central Parkway.

Mohsin said the grocery store's stock of items has dipped because of the sale but "the goal is to bring it back up."

—brucem@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2431. Twitter @BruceMcLellan1