Rural King plans massive farm, home store at Sears end of the mall; GCB office closing
93,000 square feet includes outdoor sales area. New credit union office coming.
The largest redevelopment to date of a chunk of Mount Berry Mall is under review in Rome as Rural King home and farm stores plots to make Rome the site of its third retail site in Georgia.
On Wednesday, the Rome-Floyd Board of Adjustment approved a pitch to adjust existing setback and related concerns to allow for a retail giant that would redo much of the interior of the former Sears store and add the large exterior space.
Rural King was founded in Mattoon, Ill., 65 years ago and today has more than 130 stores across the Midwest and Southeast. The two other Georgia sites are in Bainbridge and Waycross.
It describes itself as “America’s farm and home store, a general merchandise store, providing . . . a broad range of necessities, essential goods, food, feed, seed and other farm and home products.”
The mall application comes just weeks after the second Tractor Supply store opened here in Coosa; the first is off U.S. 411 just before the East Rome Walmart.
According to the application reviewed by the Board of Adjustment:
Rural King would use around 72,000 square feet of the former Sears as well as another 21,000 square feet within the mall.
The plan calls for 85,000 square feet of interior space and almost 36,000 square feet for “exterior outdoor display.”
The outdoor space is said to be much like what Home Depot or Lowe’s currently features.
The retailer would purchase the footprint from what’s now known as Hull Property Group, which bought the mall in September 2012.
We have notes into Hull Property as well as Rural King for additional comment.
Hull and quickly landed Dunham’s Sports to fill a vacant anchor spot. Sears closed in 2016 followed by JC Penney in 2020.
In those years, several smaller retailers have come and go while the food court received an upgrade. The movie theaters adjacent to the mall recently were remodeled but are owned by GTC.
GCB East Rome office closing; new LGE credit union branch due
In recent weeks, we’ve shared sourced reports that some major banking shifts were under way, a move underscored by a billboard that beat the official announcement to the punch.
The word is out — sort of — as of Wednesday afternoon. LGE Community Credit Union confirms the East Rome office of GCB — former Greater Community and earlier Greater Rome — Bank will close July 18.
The announcement to members states “a brand new LGE branch is coming to Rome in 2026!” It doesn’t state where but look for it to arrive on Riverbend Drive within the year. Needed variances were approved by the Board of Adjustments on Wednesday.
The Second Avenue office, basically around the corner from the new site, is scheduled to close as of 5 p.m. July 18.
The main office at 1490 Martha Berry Blvd. will remain in service from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. East Rome customers will need to arrange for continuing access to safe deposit boxes.
The announcement somewhat mirrors what LGE did in Cartersville with the opening of a new branded office by Kroger Marketplace and eventual closing of the GCB branch there.
LGE purchased Greater Community, founded in 1996, several years ago. It was rebranded as GCB, a division of the metro Atlanta-based credit union.