Hamilton Mill - Dacula Village Grand Opening May 3rd
Related Posts: Parks & Sports
hiTaken From the Gwinnett Daily Post
By Christy Smith
Staff Writer
DACULA - Tina Freeland used to have to drive her son, Jarrett, from their Duluth home to his indoor baseball lesson, then to a practice field. That’s in addition to all the errands a mom runs - groceries, hair salon, dry cleaners. But with the opening of Dacula Kids Village at 1152 Auburn Road, Freeland might soon have everything she chases all in one location.
“Having the field there makes it easier,” Freeland said. “It’s a phenomenal place. There are so many things there for various ages.”
An 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 3 celebration will officially open Dacula Kids Village.
U.S. Olympic gold medalist Amanda Weir, Radio Disney and a roaming magician will kick off the jubilee.
Ben and Jerry’s 29th annual ice cream cone give away Tuesday begins the festivities.
The 55,000 square foot, $8 million retail center on 5.5 acres is built in a unique courtyard design surrounding a children’s playground with a baseball field out back.
The project is anchored by Swim Atlanta and Jack City Sports Center.
“We have the best of both worlds here. We can teach a lesson, then walk right outside to our own field and practice,” said Jack City’s owner Keith Whitner, former right fielder for the Detroit Tigers and the San Diego Padres.
Other tenants include Monkey Joe’s, Play My Way, Sweet Repeats consignment store, Wee Monsters Play Systems, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, Belle Nails, Green Tea Diner, World Champion Tae Kwon Do, Biggby Coffee and Pigtails and Crewcuts.
Dacula Kids Village is the second local family themed shopping center created by Neil Freeman, president of Watkins Retail Group, the first being at Jones Bridge Road and Abbott Bridge Road in Alpharetta.
“I thought, ‘What if we did a shopping center for kids?’” Freeman said. “We had no turnover the first five years.”
He expects the center to become a localized mini-downtown.
“The parks are crowded, so we made sure to have a playground. Then my kids got into ball, and I got the idea, ‘What if we put a ballpark in a shopping center?’ It’s a great traffic generator,” Freeman said. “At a ballfield, the player’s siblings are held captive with nothing to do.”
Plenty to do is the idea behind Dacula Kids Village. During ball practice and swim lessons, mom can have her nails done, dad can get coffee or a waffle cone and little ones can play on the playground, Freeman said. He expects to eventually bring a dry cleaners, ladies’ gym and a small grocery store to the center.
“It’s great place, especially for people with younger kids,” Freeland said. “I wish we’d had a place like that when my son was five.”
