Around Town: West Third 'foundation' well underway. 200 earthmovers clearing way for battery plant. A toast to Lime Branch Blues

This is a busy time for the “sidewalk superintendents” watching all the changes between West Third Street and the Oostanaula River.

A series of demolitions has been followed by land clearing as the first building permits for what CRE Impact has planned in the River District are out.

They include one labeled “foundation” valued at $1.47 million and some design plans for two buildings with four floors each and a parking deck.

We checked with CRE Impact’s Jeff Warwick for an update. “The site work for Nova River District began in January and is well underway. Expect the noisy part to start shortly and the vertical construction to begin by early fall.”

The overall plan is for 250,000 square feet of housing and 10,000 square feet of artisan retail space; the estimated cost is $43 million.

It is the latest in a series of mostly independent updates to the Fifth Avenue/West Third Street/Avenue A quarter. What started with The Foundry at one end of West Third and River City Bank on the other has spread to new restaurants in restored buildings, more retail and other changes.

On Wednesday, WRGA’s David Crowder reported water and sewer work in the River District had been completed with the next step being the conversion of overhead utilities to underground.

The River District is one of two major redevelopment hot spots in the city, the other being farther up North Fifth at the intersection of Martha Berry. Only rubble remains of the Relax Inn and other buildings as development is expected of The Point, a mixed use concept of apartments and retail.

Dirty job: 11 million cubic yards

We have a suggestion for one of Mike Rowe’s next “Dirty Jobs.”

You’ve seen the work well underway on U.S. 411 outside of Cartersville at the $5 billion SK/Hyundai battery plant site near Bartow Centre. One view from 411 in the Cartersville-to-Rome lanes is stunning — a fleet of earth-moving machinery perfectly poised for the next day’s loads.

Most impressive so far? All the dirt these machines are molding as preconstruction continues, targeting a summer 2025 campus opening with 3,500 employees.

Behind it all is the aptly named Plateau Excavation of Austell. The company “has 200 pieces of equipment on this 600-acre site, earthmoving over 11 million cubic yards.”

Plateau has the resume for huge things. One big example: Truist Park and The Battery, home of the Atlanta Braves.

Make that farm to glass

We checked in with Billy Newby this week to find him at the farm, bottling more of Newby Farm & Vineyard’s locally grown and nurtured wine. The Broad Street tasting room has been open more than 2 years now but the family has been hard at it (growing, building, etc.) for a good 8 years.

What’s going into those bottles? “New vintages of It’s Late Rosé, Chambourcin and Award-winner Blanc du Bois, and brand new Lime Branch Blues — a blueberry wine,” says Shannon Newby, adding that two more wines are on the way in a few months.

You will not find a better wine slushie on a warm summer day in Northwest Georgia (and the meatball sub is fabulous, too).

On radar

A different slice of pizza: This one needs to percolate for a few more months but make note of a new pizza experience coming to a perfect spot. This will be brick-and-mortar and will serve an emerging food “district.”

Weekends off: The sign at the door at The Shrimp Boat says the Second Avenue restaurant is now closed Saturday and Sunday. We stopped in for our now-annual chicken liver dinner; quick review: better than ever, weekdays or weekends.

Another seven-digit deal?: OK, make that a $925,000-plus sale. We hear a landmark home in Rome is headed to closing and we’ll discuss more when it officially changes hands. Even as real estate sales slowed in April, the “big ones” are not going away. The recent $3.3 million Cotton Block building sale had multiple offers.

Peaks & Valleys

The highs and lows of Northwest Georgia

Peak to a community that cares: Calling hours this week for Rome attorney and legendary good guy Bill Byington were to start at 5 p.m. By 4:45 p.m., the parking lot at Henderson & Sons’ South Chapel was near capacity. Over the next 30 minutes alone, an A list of area residents — cattlemen, business owners, educators, politicians, fellow lawyers and spouses — lined up to briefly embrace Janet, Will and families.

Valley for them and others having to mourn yet again this week: “We have lost one of a small number of leaders who made a generational difference in Rome.” That’s how Al Hodge so indelibly described the loss of Dr. J. Paul Ferguson, who passed Tuesday night.

Peak to earth finally moving at The Varsity in Rome: One guesstimate is the restaurant will be open by year’s end. Make that two nekkid dogs and a side of onion rings to go, please.