Peachtree Corners is moving to take back a key piece of its Town Center, voting this week to buy the shuttered CMX Cin9Bistro so the city can help call the shots on what comes next. The council's decision pushes the city closer to owning the 33,000-square-foot theater building and the land around it, with officials saying a feasibility study and public input will shape the replacement. City leaders are pitching the move as a way to keep Town Center as the city's main gathering spot, not a row of dark storefronts.
According to the City of Peachtree Corners, the council voted at its May 26 meeting to move ahead with a roughly $3.25 million purchase of the approximately 2.18-acre, 33,000-square-foot former Cin9Bistro building, pending satisfactory due diligence. The city said owning the site outright would give officials full control over how it is used and that consultants will be brought in to study options, including reuse of the building, recruiting a new tenant, or a full redevelopment.
As reported by Atlanta News First, reaction at the meeting and among visitors was mixed, after a run of recent closures at Town Center. The outlet noted that Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar closed its Town Center spot last July, Uncle Jack's Meat House shut down the following month, and CMX Cin9Bistro closed in December 2025. Residents quoted by the station called the cluster of vacancies "a shame." Some meeting-goers backed the city's decision to get directly involved, while others questioned whether the move was necessary.
City officials say purchase protects Town Center
Mayor Mike Mason called the deal "about protecting and strengthening the heart of our community," and City Manager Brian Johnson told the council the only way to "have full control over the future use of this property" was for the city to own it, the City of Peachtree Corners said. Officials emphasized that future uses should "activate the space throughout the day and evening" while fitting in with current businesses and the Town Green. City leaders say community input will play a central role in deciding the site's fate.
Town Center's origins and the developer
The Town Center opened in 2019 as a Fuqua Development project and was promoted as a 21-acre mixed-use destination with restaurants, retail and a two-acre town green, WSB-TV reported. Developer Jeff Fuqua joined city leaders at the grand opening to celebrate the center as a new hub for dining and entertainment, but more recent tenant losses have left parts of that mix underused. Against that backdrop, city officials argue that municipal ownership may be needed to protect the Town Center's character.
What comes next for the site
Officials told Atlanta News First that the purchase still depends on completion of due diligence and that a feasibility study and public outreach will drive decisions on reuse or redevelopment. Options on the table include bringing in a new tenant, putting the existing building to a different use, or pursuing a full redevelopment that works with the Town Green and nearby businesses. The city did not give a firm timeline but said residents will be updated as consultants finish their work.
For neighbors, the pending buy signals that Peachtree Corners is willing to step in where the private market has left a hole. In the coming months, the city will find out whether taking the keys to the former CineBistro can help reverse vacancy trends and restore Town Center to the community hub it was meant to be.
