The acre of land in front of State Mutual Stadium that was to be the new Hooters restaurant is in foreclosure and will be sold at auction May 5 at the Floyd County Courthouse.

A security deed dated Nov. 28, 2007, lists John Hopkins as managing member of Ballpark Holdings LLC, the entity in default on a loan secured by the property. The deed lists the property address as “1.01 acres on Veterans Memorial Bypass.”

Hopkins was building the restaurant while Rome’s original Hooters was still operating in the Etowah Crossing shopping center. The franchise hoped to relocate to the new site in time for at least a portion of the 2008 Rome Braves baseball season.

But in May the franchise owners were evicted from the Etowah Crossing site, and later that month the Hooters signs were removed from the stadium site. Hopkins said then that the restaurant’s corporate office asked him to take down the signs.

Today Hopkins referred questions about the foreclosure to developer Robert Bogle. Bogle is not affiliated with the one-acre site, but he is involved in a three-phase development called The Boulevard on approximately 27 acres around State Mutual Stadium.

Bogle is partnering with Northwest Georgia LLC, which owns the land, on the development, which would include retail, restaurants, offices and entertainment. The one-acre site in foreclosure is at the eastern tip of the first phase of that development.

In January, Bogle had contractors look over the unfinished restaurant to estimate what it would cost to complete. He said then that if he decided to acquire the property he would turn it into a “family-style sports bar,” not a Hooters.

Calls to Bogle and Northwest Georgia LLC were not immediately returned.

The print edition of this story said he couldn't be reached for comment, but he called after page was sent.

Click here to see a previous report about The Boulevard development in front of State Mutual Stadium.