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Summerhill Publix, closed due to crane incident, to reopen Saturday

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  September 8, 2023 9:27pm EDT
Summerhill
FOX 5 Atlanta

Overweight truck falls through Publix parking lot

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens says he's concerned about access to fresh food and a pharmacy in the Summerhill area now that the Publix parking garage collapsed and shut down the store.

ATLANTA - The Summerhill Publix and Piedmont Urgent Care will reopen on Saturday, a week after a crane caused a portion of the parking deck to collapse.

The store is located on Hank Aaron Drive SE.

It appears the incident occurred because the crane truck exceeded the weight limit for the garage. Officials say signage was posted in the area that listed the weight limit.

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Branch Properties, which manages the site, sent a statement Friday which reads:

"We are pleased to announce the reopening of the Summerhill Publix and Piedmont Urgent Care to the public on Saturday, September 9th. We understand and appreciate that the reopening of these two essential businesses was a primary concern for the community, and we have worked diligently with the City of Atlanta to have both tenants operating again as soon as it was deemed safe. On Saturday, Sept. 2 at approximately 7 a.m., an unauthorized crane truck drove onto the upper level of the parking deck, not heeding to the posted weight limit signs. This heavy-duty vehicle, which was significantly in excess of the weight limit for the multi-level parking deck, punctured a discreet section of the deck and dropped to the level below. Fortunately, no serious injuries occurred as a result of this avoidable incident. Publix, Piedmont Urgent Care and the parking deck were closed immediately to keep the public safe while appropriate authorities and licensed engineers assessed the situation. In the days since the incident, the parking deck was once again certified as structurally sound as it has been since its first day of operation. The parking deck was originally constructed to the highest standards of safety and engineering specifications, and the deck remains structurally sound today. Now that Publix and Piedmont Urgent Care are reopening, we will proceed to repair the damaged section of the parking deck. We understand how important having access to this Publix and Piedmont Urgent Care is for the surrounding community, and look forward to the return of our valued shoppers and guests."

The shopping center had been open for less than three months, having been opened on June 21.