Several ongoing construction projects are nearing completion inand around Brookhaven, while several other businesses have newowners and new names.

Steve Moreton, director of public works for the City ofBrookhaven, said the Sherwin Williams paint store on Highway 51South is making plans to open Monday. He also said Paul BarnettNissan is getting ready to begin construction on its new buildingat the west end of Brookway Boulevard.

Sherwin Williams will open at 7 a.m. Monday, store manager CavinAllen said.

Moreton said earlier in the week he issued a certificate ofoccupancy so that crews could begin stocking shelves.

Allen said the corporate-owned store will be open seven days aweek.

There is potential for two other businesses to locate next doorto the paint store, Moreton said.

@Subhead:Potential development

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Signs have been recently erected by Hal Samuels, who hopes todevelop the land between the Spanish Inn and the BP service stationon Brookway Boulevard.

Samuels said he is looking now at doing prep work on thesite.

“It will be a nice offering once it gets started,” said Moreton,who said he’s seen some preliminary plans for the project.

A newly erected sign on the property shows plans for five storeswith a combined area of 58,400 square feet. Samuels said plans arestill not specific, but he has been talking with a few interestedparties.

Moreton also said that the old Guess home has been demolished atthe corner of Highway 51 and Union Street. The property is owned byLouis Mullen. Developers are proposing a new premanufactured homedealership on the lot, although nothing has been presented inwriting, Moreton said.

@Subhead:New behind the wheel

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The former Jeff Wilson Chrysler, Jeep and Toyota dealershipshave been purchased by Richard Baker, Joe Allbritton and KeithDorman. The dealerships, owned by Jeff Wilson for 12 years, havebeen renamed Legacy Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Legacy Toyota, Bakersaid.

Baker is a former partner in the accounting firm Baker, Patrick,Miller and White, while Allbritton was a former owner of theChrysler dealership before it was sold to Wilson. Allbritton hasspent the past five years with Trustmark Bank. Dorman, the thirdpartner, also owns Brookhaven Hardware.

Baker said the dealership plans several grand opening eventsthroughout the month of September.

@Subhead:More changes

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In other automobile activity, Paul Barnett offered an update onthe relocation of his Nissan dealership to west of Interstate 55 onBrookway Boulevard. He said he is working with Nissan regardingdesign aspects of the dealership.

“It pushes us out, but I don’t know how far,” Barnett said of aconstruction start date. “We’re trying to incorporate the latestchanges and designs at Nissan’s request.”

Behind Blockbuster Video, construction and remodeling iscontinuing on a new antiques store and coffee shop.

Brooks and Amanda Warren plan to open Ables at the end ofAugust. The store will sell a variety of antiques, new homeaccessories and gifts, said Amanda Warren. Inside the store will bea coffee shop, called Lyds, which will specialize in coffee,cappuccino and hot chocolate, as well as offer nonperishablegourmet foods.

Ables is located in the old Chapels building on the corner ofWest Monticello Street. Warren said they are in the process ofremodeling the building and have moved the entrance of thebuilding. What once was the back will now be the frontentrance.

@Subhead:Possible sale

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Columbus Lumber Co. President Jeff Grierson said early last weekthat an unsolicited offer had been made for the purchase of thecompany’s retail store.

The retail store, located on W.L. Behan Road, will be sold toHome Hardware Inc., pending approval from Columbus Lumber and fromthe trustee overseeing the settlement of a class-action lawsuitfiled against Bernie Ebbers. Columbus Lumber was among Ebbers’assets he agreed to divest last month in order to settle thesuit.

Grierson said the purchaser will still need some of theiremployees to run store.

“We hope that everyone will have a job at the end of theprocess,” Grierson said.

Grierson said if the sale is not approved, business willcontinue as usual.

Early Friday afternoon, Grierson, said he expected final word onthe sale of the store by late in the day.

@Subhead:Bank changes hands

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Union Planters Bank on Halbert Heights Road closed its doorsThursday afternoon to reopen Friday morning as Regions Bank.

“This is an important and exciting time for Regions associatesand customers in Brookhaven, and we are proud to announce this newchapter in the bank’s history,” said Darrell Morse, communitypresident of Regions in Brookhaven.

Morse said the branch currently employees 13 people and hedidn’t expect any drastic changes in the bank’s currentservices.

“It makes us bigger and puts us in more locations,” Morse saidof the banking merger.

Regions Bank’s headquarters are located in Birmingham, Ala.

@Subhead:Sports of all sorts

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Among new businesses to Brookhaven is a new sporting goods storeon Brookway Boulevard.

Hibbett Sports has opened its store in the old Brookhaven Sportslocation. The store will carry a large selection of sportsequipment, apparel and shoes.

Brookhaven Sports moved to its new location on Highway 51earlier in the year, which allowed for the company’s expansion.

Construction in the county continues on the Road and TrackPowersports building at the corner of Highway 84 and Highway 51.Store owner Wayne Brown, said he expects to open in his newlocation around Nov. 1. Currently his business is located at 506Highway 51 South, next door to Ole Brook Tire.

Brown said his new building will be approximately 16,000 squarefeeet, which is considerably larger than his current4,985-square-foot building. His new building sits on two and a halfacres of land, which will allow for an expansion in inventory.

The full-service business is the local franchise for Suzuki,Kawasaki and Polaris. The business currently sells a variety ofmotorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. It also has a service andparts department.

Brown has been owner of the dealership since March 2004.

DAILY LEADER News Editor Matthew Coleman contributed to thisreport.