A Prattville-based real estate broker recently sent an e-mail to the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, the City of Centre and other local officials confirming that Goody’s (formerly Goody’s Family Clothing) plans to open a store in the old Big E Supermarket in Centre. 

The e-mail contained a copy of the 10-year lease agreement and a progress report on plans to have the store ready to hand over to Goody’s by early next year. 

“We’re moving forward with architectural and construction plans,” the e-mail reads. 

A spokeswoman for Real Estate Southeast (RES) told The Post their architects are working on plans that will split the former Big E “roughly” in half, with Goody’s taking 10,000 sq. ft. of floor space on the left side of the building, as seen from the parking lot. 

“We’re also hoping to do some work on the façade, if it’s in the budget,” said the spokeswoman. “We’re hoping to turn the store over to Goody’s in February so they can bring in their fixtures, registers and merchandise.” 

She said the store will probably open sometime in spring 2012. 

Prattville native Louise Jennings, a second spokeswoman for RES, said she expects another announcement soon about a tenant for the other half of the former supermarket.

"It will be a soft goods retailer," Jennings said. "That's all I can say for now."

Jennings said Texas-based Goody's is the kind of business that often seeks out cities the size of Centre.

"Goody's understands that smaller markets generate loyal customers, and I think they are really going to do well in Centre," she said.

Goody’s, was founded in 1953 in Athens, Tenn., and at one time operated nearly 400 locations in the Southeast and Midwest. The company declared bankruptcy in 2008 and closed all its stores by February 2009. 

Later that year, Stage Stores, Inc. bought the rights to the Goody’s name and began reopening old locations and expanding to new areas of the Southeast. 

Goody’s claims several exclusive, private-label brands, according to Wikipedia. Among them are Duck Head (glasses, jeans, shirts and shoes), the Ashley Judd Collection (sweaters, denim jeans and dress tops) and Denim Planet (denim jeans). 

The northern area of Centre has seen a downturn in economic activity in the years since the Ellis family sold its supermarket to Gregerson’s in May 1996. After Gregerson’s closed in 1998, Foodland opened in the location for a short time but could not compete with grocery chains on the opposite end of town, including Ingles and Piggly Wiggly. 

As fast-food restaurants moved into town in the years after Gregerson’s was shuttered, most of them decided to settle in the fast-growing western side of town. When Wal-Mart constructed a new supercenter in the same area in 2003, the demise of north Centre seemed complete. 

But Gadsden State Community College opened a satellite campus just a few hundred feet from Cherokee Plaza in 2008. Since then, city and county officials have been hoping traffic from the campus would help convince a regional or national retailer to open in the area.

Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Thereasa Hulgan said she thinks the tipping point might have finally been reached.

"Goody's is going to be a great asset to the businesses in that area of town that are long-established," Hulgan said. "And the new traffic will help fill the other vacancies in the Cherokee Plaza."

Hulgan said the expanded medical facilities in the area will also help drive more shoppers to the new store. Hulgan also encouraged everyone to do their shopping locally, especially considering the current state of the economy.

"It is so important for people to shop locally whenever they can, because we need to keep that tax revenue at home," Hulgan said. "Bringing Goody's to Centre creates more options to keep our money here."

When it opens for business, Goody’s will share the Cherokee Plaza with Fred’s, Dollar General, and several locally-owned retailers including Howard’s Jewelers and Hi-Fashion Hair Care.

Cherokee Plaza was opened in 1972 by Centre businessman John Ellis. Ellis opened his first grocery store, the Jitney Jungle, after returning from World War II. He changed the name to Big E Supermarket when he moved the business into his new shopping center on Highway 9/68.