Landmark Italian restaurant closing

Alfredo's Italian Restaurant , which has been in business since 1974, has been informed their lease is not being renewed and that their property has been sold. The restaurant, located in a freestanding building at 1989 Cheshire Bridge Road, is one of Atlanta's longest running restaurants.

Owner and manager Perry Alvarez reportedly hopes to relocate to another location but no lease has yet been signed.

Alvarez joined the restaurant as a partner in 1977, eventually buying out the other owners in the mid-1980s.

Although the restaurant is claiming to be pursuing a relocation, their facebook page tells a different story.

A notice on Alfredo's facebook page this past Tuesday lists "NEW GIFT CARD TERMS"

"To All New & Existing Gift Card Holders We Apologize For Any Inconvenience STARTING JANUARY 01, 2016 We Will No Longer Sell Gift Cards STARTING NOW Gift Cards Expire On February 29, 2016"

Enat Ethiopian Restaurant with Ghezai Auto Repair in the rear

The Alfredo's parcel, along with Enat Ethiopia Restaurant and Ghezai Auto Repair, were all built in 1950 and all were owned by the same man, Herbert Hayes. The total land area is about 2.6 acres.

A Georgia Department of Transportation Metro Atlanta Maintenance facility, located just north of Alfredo's, was also sold and will reportedly be joined with the adjacent parcels for the redevelopment. The overall parcel size is about 10 acres.

Nino's Cucina Italiana, located at 1931 Cheshire Bridge Road, just north of the GDOT property, is reportedly safe for now. Nino's is even older than Alfredo's, having been in business since 1968.

I found a document from the Campbell administration that referenced the GDOT facility as being a target for redevelopment as long ago as 1999. I also found a document from 2013 regarding a potential sale and redevelopment of the property and Alfredo's.

Sources tell me that the current plan is to redevelop the parcels into a mixed use complex that would include apartments, but I have thus far been unable to confirm who the developer will be.

An employee of Atlanta-based Summit Engineering Consultants filed a "Zoning Verification Letter" with the City of Atlanta on October 8th for 1989 Cheshire Bridge Road: Alfredo's. While there are no other details publicly available or any other permits on file, Summit has relationships with AMLI Residential, Archstone Communities, Gables Residential, Novare Group, Paces Properties, Walton Communities and Trammell Crow Residential,as well as assorted other commercial and residential developers, according to its website.

Just north of this development, the Doll House, an adult entertainment establishment, and a few surrounding parcels are also in line for redevelopment into apartments and possibly office space as well. According to one source with knowledge of the plan, the 2.4 acre parcel with Cheshire Bridge frontage, including the Doll House, would become apartments.

As it stands now, Westplan Investors Partners, LP. would construct a five story building with about 200 apartments with a pool in front and a parking deck in the rear. (Westplan is currently underway with "Aspire Druid Hills," a 310 unit apartment complex on Executive Park Drive, just off North Druid Hills Road.) A larger parcel, behind the planned parking deck and with access from Faulkner Road, currently home to two warehouse buildings converted to various gay businesses, could be converted to loft offices.

South of the Alfredo's property on Piedmont Avenue, Fuqua Development and Mill Creek Residential are putting the final touches on their mixed use project: Morningside Heights. Included in the six-acre parcel are 300 apartments referred to as "Modera Morningside" and a new Sprouts Farmers Market, slated to open February 3rd.

At the opposite end of Cheshire Bridge Road, near I-85, Bluerock Residential Growth REIT and Atlanta-based Catalyst Development Partners are underway with another residential project. The nearly 4-acre site, once home to Fleur de Lis Restaurant, will be redeveloped at a projected cost of $48 million into an 285-unit apartment complex.

What are your thoughts on the sudden onslaught of apartments along Cheshire Bridge Road? Are you in favor of the additional residential development or do you fear they will continue to eat away at the character of Atlanta? What property, if any, would you like to see redeveloped into new commercial or residential use?