The Return of a Dream

I was a bit melancholy when a local BBQ joint had a massive fire back in mid-January. Now there's good news that it promises a return to our area this autumn.

In reality it was always a pile of lumber, bricks, metal and glass. Put together, these materials make up a building. That very building quickly becomes a fixture to a community. It couldn’t be truer than the old Dreamland BBQ building on Peachtree Parkway. The structure has always been part of the landscape as far back as I can remember over my near 24 years in the area. It wasn’t always Dreamland, but that building was as visually dependable as the nearby businesses, roads and sidewalks to Peachtree Corners. On some subconscious level, there is a thought that a building will always be there in the community as if it were a permanent part of the landscape. It’s somehow taken for granted that the structure is as common as the sky and sun, but of course, we know better. Either Mother Nature’s wrath or human error may demolish the structure at some point. I suppose that’s what insurance is there for at the end of the day, right?

Back in early March, the Dreamland building quickly came down. A chain link fence surrounds the new construction site displaying signs promising its quick return, but in the meantime, one may call in a catering order. Parts of the structure have been salvaged including its barbecue pit. Sure, memories were made in that location and in some respects that is tragic. But one must remember that memories were made in more notorious structures such as New York’s Yankee Stadium, which years ago, seemed unthinkable to demolish.

What’s more disconcerting about the Dreamland building’s demise is that it disrupted many lives since the mid-January fire. Hopefully, all of those who worked so hard in that location for years have been able to find solid, consistent work since the fire – and hopefully they will return when the restaurant is up and running.

Like all rebuilt structures, the new Dreamland building will no doubt be an improvement over the old retrofitted structure which housed other businesses through the years. It’s encouraging to see that the company remains committed to Peachtree Corners in what is honestly a great location.

With an improved Dreamland, new development across from The Forum (I personally would like to see a park with trails go in there) and hopefully some new businesses in the building which houses Office Max, this area will be in a win-win situation very soon.