Groundbreaking held for 'community store development

Feb. 27—ALBANY — The Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday for One Leaf Community Store, a mixed-use, community-focused retail development serving east Albany.

The development — which will encompass a total of eight businesses including a gas station, barber shop, post office, clothing store, ice cream shop, café, restaurant and beverage store — was designed with the community's needs in mind.

"We're excited about this project because it will serve to meet many needs of the surrounding area and the community as a whole," Jaymin Patel, the developer of One Leaf, said. "We choose to refer to this development specifically as a 'community store,' because that's the goal, to serve the community."

The One Leaf Community Store is located at 1629 Clark Ave., with close proximity to highways 19 and 82, and will be easily accessible by east Albany residents.

"The vision for this community store is to be a one-stop-shop for the east Albany community, allowing this single location to meet a variety of needs, within driving or even walking distance," ADEDC President and CEO Jana Dyke said. "This signifies great momentum for our community in terms of retail development and service delivery, while also serving as yet another asset in one of our most essential transportation corridors."

One Leaf Community Store is projected to open by late 2021.