Council approves special-use permit to convert vacant Kmart into Ace Pickleball and retail
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Summary
Council unanimously approved a special‑use permit to subdivide the long-vacant Kmart building into a roughly 40,000‑square‑foot Ace Pickleball club and a second retail tenant; the applicant presented a traffic study and said the reuse would bring new activity and tax revenue to the shopping center.
Peachtree City council unanimously approved a special‑use permit authorizing the subdivision of the vacant Kmart building in Braylon Village Shopping Center into two large tenant spaces, including an approximately 40,000‑square‑foot Ace Pickleball club designed to include roughly 13–14 courts and accessory retail.
Kimco (the property owner) and Ace representatives presented renderings and a traffic analysis showing that the proposed reuse would not make operating intersections fall below the city’s level-of-service standard; the traffic consultant said the proposed use would generate considerably less traffic than some retail alternatives. Ace representatives described the club model (indoor courts, community programming, limited concessions and retail sales) and estimated the facility could open during 2025 depending on permitting and buildout.
Neighbors and local advocates spoke in favor, citing reuse of a long-vacant building and the potential for increased pedestrian and alternative‑mode access; one commenter urged the applicant to correct some private‑property signage/stop/yield inconsistencies and to add bike and golf-cart parking. The council asked questions about court count, concessions and ceiling height; the applicant said there would be about 14 playable courts, packaged-food concessions and no large-scale eatery. Council approved the special-use permit without recorded conditions and encouraged coordination on traffic and pedestrian signage and bike/golf-cart parking.
Why it matters: The approval brings an active use to a vacant regional shopping center, promising new tax revenue and increased non‑automobile access; the council and public noted safety and signage items that the applicant said it would address.
What’s next: The applicant will pursue building permits and coordinate with staff on any off-site safety signage or private-entrance traffic controls; Kelly staff said the applicant will implement site improvements as part of building‑permit review.
