An auto repair business that’s operated on Memorial Drive for nearly seven decades is in the process of closing up and clearing out, setting the stage for potential redevelopment on one of the street’s last blocks near the BeltLine not touched by torrents of new construction.

Reid’s Auto Shop, located at 952 Memorial Drive SE in Reynoldstown, is now listed on Google as being “permanently closed.” That lends validity to neighborhood tips and rumors that the business has been looking to sell its property and move on.

Neighbors in the area tell Urbanize Atlanta this week that Reid’s has spent the past few days clearing the .64-arce lot.

As indicated by online reviews, the full-service auto shop has developed a large following and strong reputation for dependable work over the years. But as projects such as Madison Yards, 982 Memorial, and the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail have materialized, Reid’s jalopy-strewn property has become an anomaly in the increasingly walkable neighborhood.

Reid’s ownership has been reticent to talk to media when approached about the business’ plans in recent months—except to say the auto shop was started more than 68 years ago on Memorial Drive and that they’ve been pleased to see recent investment and changes on the street.

The Reid's Body Shop property in the context of recent Memorial Drive development and, at far left, the BeltLine's Eastside Trail. Google Maps

Property records show no recent sale. But permitting activity from this past spring suggests the land owned by Reid’s is being combined into a single parcel “for consolidation of [a] mixed-use property” and tax purposes. 

Adherents of the Comfy Chicken Biscuit next door need not fret: Home Grown, the popular local breakfast and lunch cottage, occupies the southeast corner of Reid's block, but it's a separate property.

How the property in question excludes the popular breakfast and lunch spot next door. Fulton County Government/Board of Assessors

The former Memorial Drive auto shop and salvage yard, at right, prior to demolition. Google Maps

The news comes as another utilitarian staple of Memorial Drive, Cummin Landscape Supply, is shuttering its Memorial Drive operations a few blocks west of Reid’s—at least for now.

Cummin reps didn’t reply to an email seeking more information, but an email blast to customers last week said the business was consolidating operations to another location at 4180 Moreland Avenue—eight miles away—due to “supply chain issues, labor shortages, and site conditions.”

Cummin’s gravel lot at 724 Memorial Drive was closed to the public as of Monday. It will remain shuttered “during this season” and “until further notice,” according to the landscape company.  

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