By Anila Yoganathan, contributor

Avondale Estates, GA — The Avondale Estates Downtown Development Authority intends to temporarily lease the old Finders Keepers space to the farmers market and the former Edwin Jarvis space to the contractor company which will lead construction of The Dale.

The farmers market is planning to move operations to the Town Green in December, but vendors will need a place for storage and the use of restrooms, which could be provided through the former Finders Keepers space at 84 N. Avondale Road, according to a discussion held at the Nov. 14 DDA board meeting.

However, the space is in need of some maintenance which Peter Constructive is willing to provide as a trade for using the Edwin Jarvis space at 88 N. Avondale Road, Assistant City Manager Shannon Powell said.

“We would allow them to use the Edwin Jarvis Building. They’ll pay for the utilities. They will fix the Finders Keepers building so that it can be used by the farmers market,” Powell said. “It’s a barter.”

The board discussed stipulations on the proposed lease for the Finders Keepers space to include making sure the farmers market keeps the restrooms clean and there are limitations regarding storage. The board passed a motion to create temporary leases for both spaces.

In other business, the DDA also voted to approve already budgeted funds of up to $1,500 for marketing of the Winter Wanderland event.

“We’ve got about 17 businesses that have specifically signed up that will either have music, or pictures with characters or discounts or holiday specials or decorate cookies…to draw people into businesses,” DDA Board Member Stacia Familo-Hopek said. “We’re also going to have [an] artist market at the pavilion that will be for artists from the film industry.”

Finally, the board discussed plans to consolidate the city’s Wine Walk event with an art festival to be held as a new event sometime in the spring. The Wine Walk would be ticketed, but the art festival would be open to the public.

Ellen Powell, communications director, said they’re in the process of reaching out to the Avondale Arts Alliance to help with the art portion of the event. A date for the event has not been picked yet. Shannon Powell said she will bring back a budget for the event for the board to look over.

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