The former CinéBistro at Peachtree Corners Town Center occupies the kind of property cities rarely get the opportunity to reconsider from the ground up.

It is large, prominent and positioned directly beside the Town Green, where concerts, festivals and ordinary weekend gatherings have helped create something resembling a suburban downtown. What happens inside the vacant theater building will affect more than one storefront. It could help determine how Town Center functions for years.

The Peachtree Corners City Council voted May 26 to move forward with a $3.25 million purchase of the former theater property, pending the completion of due diligence. The proposed acquisition includes a roughly 30,000-square-foot building and 2.18 acres.

CinéBistro closed in December 2025 after operating at the development for six years. Fuqua Development, which owns the property and is also developing the Whole Foods-anchored Forsyth Town Center directly across from The Collection at Forsyth, subsequently explored other potential uses for the building. Some did not fit the city’s vision for Town Center, according to city officials.

Buying the property would give Peachtree Corners something it previously lacked: direct control over what replaces the theater.

A Decision Larger Than One Vacant Building

Town Center was built around a combination of restaurants, entertainment, housing and public gathering space. The Town Green became its defining feature, but the surrounding businesses are what keep people in the district before and after an event.

A vacant anchor beside that green creates a visible interruption. It also presents an opportunity to add something that operates during more than a narrow window of the day.

City officials have said they want the eventual use to complement existing businesses, encourage gathering and bring activity to the property during both daytime and evening hours. The city is hiring market and design professionals to evaluate whether the theater should be reused, occupied by a new concept or demolished for a broader redevelopment.

That process matters because the existing building was designed for a highly specialized purpose. Its auditoriums, kitchen, lobby and entertainment infrastructure could support another attraction, but they may also limit the number of businesses capable of moving in without an expensive conversion.

Could the Building Become an Arts and Entertainment Center?

One of the clearest possibilities would be an arts, performance or community entertainment venue.

The former auditoriums could potentially accommodate films, live performances, lectures, comedy, children’s programming or small cultural events. Other areas could be adapted for art classes, exhibitions, meetings or private rentals.

Such a concept would fit naturally beside the Town Green rather than compete with it. Outdoor concerts and festivals could be paired with indoor programming, giving residents another reason to visit when the weather is less than ideal for an outdoor event.

The challenge would be financial. A public arts venue would need a sustainable operating model, reliable programming and enough private rentals or ticketed events to avoid becoming an expensive building that is active only occasionally.

A New Kind of Family Attraction

A private entertainment operator may offer another path.

The location could support an interactive family venue, indoor recreation concept, gaming or technology attraction, live-event space or a combination of dining and entertainment. Peachtree Corners has a substantial family population, while the Town Center already attracts visitors from Johns Creek, Norcross, Duluth and other nearby communities.

The strongest concept would probably need to offer something not already widely available across Gwinnett and North Fulton. A conventional arcade or another restaurant alone may not be enough to justify such a prominent site.

A flexible attraction capable of serving families during the day and adults in the evening would come closer to the city’s stated goal of keeping the property active across multiple parts of the day.

Full Redevelopment Could Change Town Center More Dramatically

The city may ultimately decide that the former theater building is less valuable than the land beneath it.

Removing the existing structure could allow the property to be divided into smaller spaces, new pedestrian connections and additional outdoor areas. A redevelopment might combine retail, dining, offices, lodging or another civic use rather than depending on a single large tenant.

That option would take longer and cost considerably more, but it could also correct some of the limitations of a large entertainment box designed around one operator. Smaller storefronts could provide more flexibility as consumer habits change.

Residents Will Have a Voice

The city expects to close on the property during the summer if due diligence is completed successfully. The feasibility study is expected to take about four months, with findings potentially reaching the community in late fall or early winter.

Public input is also planned before a final direction is selected.

That conversation should extend beyond asking residents to choose among a few attractive renderings. The more useful questions are when people would use the property, what is missing from the surrounding area and whether the chosen concept can remain active and financially sustainable throughout the week.

Peachtree Corners does not simply need something to fill an empty building. It needs a use strong enough to become part of the reason people visit Town Center in the first place.

Top photo credit: Bruch Johnson