A pair of small Brookhaven businesses will move across town nextweek to clear the way for a developer who has purchased and plansto raze the run-down shopping center where they are located.

Local pool hall Brookhaven Billiard and AAA Check and PaymentCenter are moving out of the old Gibson’s strip mall on thenorthwest corner of the Highway 51 and Brookway Boulevardintersection – a dilapidated cluster of vacant stores and hotelrooms that has long been one of the city’s main eyesores. Thebusinesses’ owners said Ron Craddock, owner of McComb’s CraddockOil and other businesses, purchased the site in February and plansto demolish it.

“Craddock Oil bought this place out and gave us a terminationdate,” said pool hall owner Mark Montgomery, who is working to move11 pools tables – some 150-year-old antiques – across town by nextweek.

Montgomery is moving his pool hall into the old FactoryConnection building at 112 Whitworth Ave. after operating in theGibson’s lot since 2006.

Montgomery is hoping the move downtown into a nicer building anda higher traffic area will help his business. But some downtownresidents, he said, are not happy about the move.

“A couple of people went and tried to stop us from coming,”Montgomery said. “Pool halls just have a bad image. But it’s not abad place to come. We don’t allow any alcohol in here, we don’tplay loud music, I don’t allow any loitering … I have run offsome good customers here who didn’t know how to act.”

Montgomery does not have a specific date set to open in his newlocation.

AAA Check and Payment Center, however, does. Owner CathieBratton said the authorized payday loan and bill payment centerwould open at its new location at 508 Schwem Ave. near Dirt Cheapnext Wednesday after a two-day hiatus for moving.

“We’re looking forward to having a better place to serve ourcustomers,” she said. “(Gibson’s) has been a great location for usand it’s served us and the public well. But it is an eyesore andwe’re looking forward to our move. Fixing this place up is likeputting a Band-Aid on a Band-Aid.”

Neither Bratton nor Montgomery is privy to Craddock’s plans forthe site beyond bulldozing it. Craddock did not immediately returnphone messages seeking comment.

Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce Executive VicePresident Cliff Brumfield said changes to the site are coming soon,but he was not in a position to discuss details. From his desk asthe city’s chief economic development advocate, the sale of theproperty could ultimately benefit the local economy.

“The location has considerable potential,” he said. “It lies atone of the primary intersections in Lincoln County.”