ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - The former Roses building on Albany’s east side has been demolished, leaving behind cleared space and community speculation about future development possibilities.

In spring 2024, the Albany Roses store relocated to the west side of town after serving the east side community for about 50 years. The building faced upkeep problems that led to the demolition.

Adam Inyang, a longtime resident who ran for the Ward 2 City Commissioner seat in Albany, published a story online about a plan to revitalize the property into a market district. The concept included retail space, residential units, green space and an indoor roller rink.

“Eastside, back in the 90s, used to be its own city. You never had to cross the river to get anything. We used to have roses here. We had two, three grocery stores. We had a movie theater. We had it all,” Inyang said.

Inyang’s written story gained significant attention online, with many people believing it was a real development plan. Some said they liked the possibility, while others said it sounded too good to be true.

“I should have started off with an apology to everybody. I am so sorry that I misled folks with the article. I want to spur people’s imaginations to see what we can actually bring here that’s going to attract people, not just from Albany, but Terrell County, Worth County, Lee County, and make Albany the economic hub that it used to be,” Inyang said.

Inyang said the piece was meant to inspire residents and encourage them to envision something big for the east side.

No official development plans filed

The City of Albany’s Planning and Development Department confirmed there are currently no permits filed for the space.

“As far as development, we have no knowledge of anything going at that site currently. I’ve seen it on Facebook, like I said, currently it’s just speculation.” said Tanner Anderson of Albany Planning and Development Staff.

City Commissioner Jon Howard said he welcomes any proposals or development that will address the east side’s needs, whether residential space or commercial use.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Albany’s only Roses Discount Store set to open in new location
• Roses store temporarily closes
• Albany Roses store temporarily changing locations, east side leaders push for new businesses

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.