A rare peek inside the LENOX Colonial store. At the time of this 1968 image, it had just been renovated.

Photo from Colonial Stores, Incorporated Annual Report 1968

By the early 1970s, LENOX SQUARE was falling behind several newer -and fully-enclosed- malls in its trade area. In June 1972, work commenced on a renovation to enclose and air-condition the Mall Level of the complex. Work was winding down by November 1972, when this ad appeared in the local newspaper.
Advert from Noble Properties 

Along with the mall enclosure project came a third anchor department store. Dallas' trendy Neiman Marcus anchored a new Skylight Mall wing. The store was dedicated in August 1972.
Drawing from Broadway-Hale Stores, Incorporated

The roofing renovation and expansion was formally dedicated in January 1973. On this physical layout, the new Skylight Mall appears in medium gray. The previously open-air Mall Level concourse is now known as the Garden Mall. With these improvements, LENOX SQUARE encompasses approximately 1.1 million leasable square feet, with ninety-three stores under its roof.

An early '70s view of the Plaza Court, showing the Delta Kiosk, a fixture there for several years. In front of Davison's is the south end of the fully-enclosed Garden Mall concourse.
Photo from www.simon.com / Simon Property Group

The mall's second major renovation replaced the open-air Plaza Court with a 3-level, fully-enclosed structure. Construction commenced in February 1979, with the new and improved Plaza Court being officially dedicated in August 1980. The facility housed forty-seven restaurants and boutiques.
Advert from Corporate Property Investors

The new Plaza Court (in medium gray) was the first phase of a major renovation and expansion of LENOX SQUARE. As part of this project, Macy's (Davison's) and Rich's were enlarged. A second stage of construction brought a luxury hotel and office tower. Retail space was also added to the Plaza Court (in light gray). When construction dust settled in September 1988, the mall covered approximately 1.3 million square feet and housed over 200 stores and services. 

Please pardon the quality. Above and below are two snapshots from one of my first visits to LENOX SQUARE, in 1986. These show the original, 3-level Plaza Court.

In this photo, we see the entrance to the mall's first Macy's (nee' Davison's, now Bloomingdale's). 

An early 1960s aerial view of the mall.
Photo from the H.S. Crocker Company, Incorporated

And an early 2000s-vintage view. 
Photo from Wikipedia / "Fsunoles"

LENOX SQUARE was enlarged again in 1994-1995. The Mall Level was double-decked with a Upper Level of stores. An Upper Level was built over the Neiman Marcus wing in 2007.
Photo from www.simon.com / Simon Property Group

The mall's Main Entrance, which faces Peachtree Road, as it appeared at the turn of the century.
Photo from www.simon.com / Simon Property Group

In our most recent LENOX layout, the mall encompasses approximately 1,545,000 leasable square feet and contains 240 stores and services. It is the Peach State's third-largest shopping venue. Changes made between 1994 and 2007 are shown in light gray on this circa-2008 site plan.

The oft-expanded and remodeled LENOX SQUARE was given another makeover between 2013 and 2014! Here we see the Main Entrance, as it appeared after the 2010s face lift.
Photo from www.simon.com / Simon Property Group

As part of the renovation, the existing Food Court was upgraded into the "Lenox Fashion Cafe." This food facility includes an outdoor patio area (not shown).
Drawing from www.simon.com / Simon Property Group

LENOX SQUARE
Peachtree and Lenox Roads
Atlanta, Georgia

Plans for a "supercolossal" regional shopping center were announced in January 1956. The complex would occupy a 75-acre plot; this located 8.6 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta's Five Points district. At the time, the typical suburban shopping center was built outside a city's corporate limits in order to avoid payment of city taxes. LENOX SQUARE, in Atlanta's Buckhead district, would lie entirely within the city limits of Atlanta. 

At one time, the LENOX SQUARE site had contained Joyeuse, the estate of banker John King Ottley. The parcel was acquired by Lenox Square, Incorporated, a subsidiary of Oklahoma's Noble Foundation, in May 1956. 

Initial approval for construction of the mall had been granted by the Atlanta-Fulton County Planning Board in February 1956. A rezoning of the site from residential to commercial, in December 1956, instigated months of litigation. Local residents, concerned that the proposed shopping center would devalue their homes, filed suit. 

The Georgia Supreme Court ruled on the issue in October 1956 and October 1957, with the plan for the shopping center being upheld. A final legal hurdle was overcome when a U.S. District Court judge ruled in favor of LENOX SQUARE in December 1957.

By this time, several retail stores had signed onto the project. After some reluctance, Rich's committed to a LENOX location in May 1957. The Davison-Paxton Company signed on in September. Originally, a Food Fair supermarket was proposed. However, this plan was altered when Colonial Stores signed a lease in October 1957.     

Land clearing had commenced in July 1957. Building permits were issued in April and May 1958. The 32 million dollar shopping center was being developed by Edward E. Noble, under the auspices of the Noble Foundation, and was designed by Atlanta's Toombs, Amisano & Wells firm. 

The open-air complex opened for business on August 3, 1959. William Berry Hartsfield (Mayor of Atlanta) presided over the mall dedication. In attendance were Richard Rich (President of Rich's, Incorporated) and Charles Ross (President of the Davison-Paxton Company). Instead of being cut, a ceremonial ribbon was tied together. This symbolized "the tying together of the merchants of LENOX SQUARE into a competitive but cooperative group."

Forty-two retailers (out of an eventual fifty-five) commenced operation. There were two Atlanta-based department stores; a 3-level (180,000 square foot) Rich's and 2-level (120,000 square foot) Davison-Paxon (a.k.a. Davison's). The mall included several 2-level inline stores; Haverty's Furniture, Muse's, J.P. Allen, Parks-Chambers and an S.S. Kresge 5 & 10.

Single-level stores and services included Pet Village, Thompson-Boland-Lee Shoes, S & S Cafeteria, Chandler's Shoes and Zachry For Men. The mall's (31,500 square foot) Colonial supermarket was reputedly the largest grocery store in the South. An outparcel Gulf service station, in the southeast parking area, resembled a spaceship.
 

Encompassing 800,000 leasable square feet, the shopping hub was comprised of 3 levels. The Mall Level, coming off the Peachtree Road parking lot, had the main Rich's entrance, an open court area and landscaped concourse. Statues created by Julian Hoke Harris depicted characters in the "Uncle Remus" stories. Other statuary was produced by Elbert Weinberg. His works included "The Traveling Musicians," "The Cat & The Owl" and "The Magpie's Nest."

LENOX SQUARE included a 1,100-foot-long truck tunnel. There was also free parking for 6,000 autos in a series of color-coded lots. At the southeast end of the Mall Level corridor (in front of Davison's) was an escalator which descended to an open Plaza Court. This area had tree planters and two fountains. An entrance to Davison's lower level was situated on this court, as was the lower level entrance of the S.S. Kresge 5 & 10.

The Market Level and a sub-level parking deck were situated beneath the Plaza Court and Colonial supermarket. On June 19, 1963, the Georgia Theatre Company Lenox Square Theatre opened on this floor. The marque of the single-screen venue faced East Paces Ferry Road. In 1967, an adjacent indoor golf-driving range was refitted as an additional movie house. Eventually, there were six auditoriums in operation within the cinema complex.

The first of many mall expansions was completed in August 1962, when a fourth level was added to Rich's, increasing its square footage to 240,000 square feet. In 1966, the mall's first parking garage was built, which was adjacent to the south side of Rich's. Davison's completed a third level expansion in November 1968. That store now covered 180,000 square feet.

By the early 1970s, LENOX -still open-air- was falling behind newer, fully-enclosed shopping venues in the northern suburbs of Atlanta. PHIPPS PLAZA opened in 1969 and was located across Peachtree Road. PERIMETER MALL {5 miles northeast, in Dekalb County} was completed in 1971. CUMBERLAND MALL {6.2 miles northwest, in Cobb County} would be dedicated in 1973.

An enclosure of the LENOX Mall Level was undertaken. A new wing was added, with thirty inline stores and 2-level (120,000 square foot), Dallas-based Neiman-Marcus. This store opened its doors on August 28, 1972. As part of the mall's reconstruction, the Rich's parking garage was expanded. A second parking facility was built on the west side of Davison's.

The new Neiman Marcus wing, known as the Skylight Mall, opened in September 1972. Tenants included Hahn Salon, J. Riggings, Cuzzens, Tinder Box Tobacconist, The Magic Pan Creperie, Bailey, Banks & Biddle Jewelers, Custom Shop Shirt Makers and the El Chico International Restaurant.

The existing Mall Level concourse was now known as the Garden Mall. A formal opening was held for the two concourses on January 18, 1973. Jazz music was provided by Charlie Bornemann and Ernie Carson's Dixieland Five. LENOX SQUARE had been enlarged to 1.1 million leasable square feet. There were now ninety-three stores and services.

New York City's Corporate Property Investors acquired LENOX SQUARE in October 1976. A second major mall renovation was announced in May 1978. The 8 million dollar project, designed by Atlanta's Greenberg Farrow Architecture, would replace the open-air Plaza Court. 

 

The Colonial supermarket would be razed. An enclosed 3-level atrium would be built, which incorporated the previously-existing Market Level. Part of this floor was reconfigured as a 9-bay Food Court, with a new entrance for the 4-screen Lenox Square Theatre built. Sit-down restaurants would be installed on the Plaza Level, with retail stores occupying new space on the Garden Level above.

Work got underway in February 1979. The 100,000 square foot Plaza Court was officially dedicated on August 20, 1980. Retail tenants included Coin & Stamps Incorporated, Laura Ashley, Johnston & Murphy Shoes and a Time Out Family Amusement Center. The Food Court featured Chick-Fil-A, Cozzoli Pizza, The Fish Market, Hot Doggery and Glass Oven Bakery. Sit-down restaurants were Presto Ristorante, Ruby Tuesday and Gilbert's Bistro.

Rich's was expanded again. A 2-level Men's Department and Budget Store were added to the Peachtree-facing front of the building. The renovation was completed in December 1982, with the store now covering approximately 306,000 square feet. Davison's was enlarged with a southward addition. A fourth floor was also created out of a basement parking garage. When construction dust settled in November 1985, the store's square footage had grown to 281,000 square feet. A parking garage had also been constructed on the south side of Davison's. 

 

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) extended service to LENOX SQUARE. Lenox Station, part of an Arts Center-to-Brookhaven North Line extension, opened on December 15, 1984. The train terminal was a short walk from the mall's south (Food Court) entrance.

The Food Court area was reconfigured in 1992. In February 1994, another expansion of the shopping hub was disclosed. The north-south portion of the Mall Level concourse would have a 187,000 square foot Upper Level added, which would house forty inline stores. The addition opened, with an initial thirty-two tenants, on November 9, 1995.

In September 1998, the Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group acquired the assets of Corporate Property Investors, with Simon becoming the new owner of LENOX SQUARE. The mall's Rich's was expanded, for a third time, in the year 2000. Its Men's Department had a third level added, with the store now covering 433,000 square feet.

Anchor rebrandings at LENOX SQUARE had begun in the 1980s. Davison's became a Davison's-Macy's on March 10, 1985, a full-fledged Macy's on November 17, 1985 and Bloomingdale's on October 16, 2003. The Rich's name remained until February 2, 2003, when stores were rebannered as Rich's-Macy's. On March 6, 2005, the Rich's name was retired, with all stores in the chain rebranded as Macy's.

Yet another renovation of the shopping center came to light in the fall of 2006. It would entail the addition of a 35,000 square foot Upper Level of retail over the existing West Wing. Neiman Marcus would also be enlarged to 205,700 square feet. This "Luxury Wing" project was completed in September 2007. 

A subsequent LENOX SQUARE remodeling was announced in September 2012. The existing Food Court was upgraded into the "Lenox Fashion Cafe," which included an outdoor patio. The Peachtree Street mall entrance was also rebuilt with an exterior-entranced Streetscape of casual dining restaurants. The Cheesecake Factory, Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar and True Food Kitchen opened in June 2014. An adjacent Crate & Barrel store had been shuttered. A portion of its space was rebuilt into a (23,900 square foot) Nike Store, which welcomed first customers on October 30, 2013.

With its latest renovations, LENOX SQUARE encompassed approximately 1,559,000 leasable square feet and housed over 250 stores and services. The complex was now the third-largest shopping mall in Georgia.

Sources:

The Atlanta Journal

The Atlanta Constitution

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Southern Isrealite (Atlanta, Georgia)

preservenet.cornell.edu/publications/Longstreth Branch Store.doc

Memories of Stan Malone                      
www.lenoxsquare.com
www.itsmarta.com
www.library.gsu.edu
www.cinematreasures.org

https://www.pasttensega.com
www.cinematour.com
Fulton County, Georgia property tax assessor website

Greater Atlanta's Cobb County Center

The original logo of Cobb County's first shopping mall, circa 1963.
Graphic from Food Fair Properties, Incorporated

COBB COUNTY CENTER was the third shopping mall in Greater Atlanta. It was located in Cobb County, which lies northwest of the city center. The complex was anchored by the fourth branch of Atlanta-based Rich's. 

The original COBB COUNTY CENTER encompassed approximately 363,500 leasable square feet, with free parking provisions for 6,000 autos. The open-air mall was developed by a joint venture of Philadelphia's Food Fair Properties and Atlanta-based Rich's, although it did not feature a Food Fair grocery (its supermarket was a Colonial Store).

COBB COUNTY CENTER STORES 1964:

RICH'S (with Beauty Salon, Magnolia Buffet restaurant and freestanding Auto Center) / SAUL'S department store / F.W. WOOLWORTH 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / COLONIAL STORES supermarket / Baker's Qualicraft Shoes / Bell Brothers Shoes / Casual Town / Cobb Center Barber Shop / Cobb Center Theatre (single screen outparcel) / Davis House cafeteria / Dunaway Drugs (with luncheonette) / Friedman's Jewelers / Haverty Furniture Company / Hirsch's men's wear / Holloway Card Shop / Johnny Walker, Incoporated / Lerner Shops-National Shirt Shops / Milton Bradley / National Shirt Shops / Pearle Optical / Southern Discount Company / Thom McAn Shoes / Thompson, Boland & Lee Shoes / Young Fahy department store

A freestanding movie house opened at COBB COUNTY CENTER in July 1964. The Cobb Center Theatre began as a single-screen venue. It was expanded into a tri-plex in 1974, reconfigured as a 4-plex in 1978 and a 6-plex in 1986. The cinema was given a thorough renovation in 1995, but was permanently shuttered in the year 2000.

Graphic from the Georgia Theatre Company 

Rich's Cobb County was enlarged in 1968. The store would be in operation for over 40 years. It was demoted to a Clearance Center before being shuttered in early 2004.

Photo from Rich's Annual Report 1968

Meanwhile, by 1970, the official name of the shopping hub had morphed to simply COBB CENTER. The complex was soon to loose its exclusive status as only shopping mall in Cobb County.

Graphic from Food Fair Properties, Incorporated  

In 1973, the new shopping center on the block was CUMBERLAND MALL. This superregional complex, which extended for a whopping 1,135,000 square feet, dwarfed COBB CENTER. Cobb County's first mall did a quick "keeping up with CUMBERLAND" renovation, whereby it was renamed COBB CENTER MALL.

Graphic from Amterre Management 

As part of the early '70s makeover, open shopping concourses at COBB CENTER MALL were roofed-in and climate-controlled. The remodeling was completed in November 1973. In this circa-'74 site plan, the Rich's expansion of 1968, and an enlargement of the Colonial Stores market, are indicated in gray. The shopping hub now covered approximately 409,600 leasable square feet.

Competition from CUMBERLAND MALL -and then TOWN CENTER AT COBB- prompted a second renovation of COBB CENTER MALL. It morphed into FOUR SEASONS AT COBB CENTER in 1987. This revitalization was not successful, leading to demolition of most of the complex in early 1998. A small strip plaza, known as COBB CENTER, was built on the site.
Graphic from Four Seasons at Cobb Center

COBB COUNTY CENTER
South Cobb Drive SE and Pat Mell Road
Cobb County, Georgia

Greater Atlanta's third shopping mall was developed by a joint venture of Atlanta's M. Rich & Company and New York City's Food Fair Properties, Incorporated. The open-air complex was designed by Robert W. Kahn Associates. COBB COUNTY CENTER was built on a 42-acre plot, located 13.5 miles northwest of Atlanta's Five Points, in a section of unincorporated Cobb County. 

Fifteen stores commenced operation on August 15, 1963. These included  Hirsch's men's, Friedman's Jewelers, a 2-level (120,000 square foot), Atlanta-based Rich's, (20,800 square foot) Colonial Stores supermarket, (45,200 square foot) Saul's Department Store and (24,800 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10. 

An official grand opening was held on October 10, 1963. New stores included Dunaway Drugs, Thom McAn Shoes, Southern Discount Company, a Davis House Cafeteria and combination Lerner Shops-National Shirt Shops unit. COBB COUNTY CENTER now covered approximately 363,500 leasable square feet and housed twenty-seven stores and services.

The original COBB COUNTY complex included a Japanese Contemplation Garden (in Center Court) and 250-seat Community Auditorium. The Georgia Theatre Company Cobb Center Theatre opened, as a northern outparcel, on July 24, 1964. 

Saul's department store was short-lived. It was replaced by W.T. Grant on November 12, 1964. Four years later, Rich's was enlarged with a 1-level (45,000 square foot) addition, which housed a new Budget Shop and cafeteria. The store, re-dedicated on September 16, 1968, now comprised 165,000 square feet. 

By this time, the official name of the mall was morphing to COBB CENTER (sans "COUNTY"). COBB CENTER enjoyed its status, as the county's only shopping mall, until August 1973, when CUMBERLAND MALL {4 miles southeast, in Cobb County} was completed. This new competitor was a fully-enclosed, superregional center.

As a competitive measure, the open-air concourses at COBB CENTER were enclosed. The "new & improved" COBB CENTER MALL was formally dedicated on November 14, 1973. It now incorporated approximately 409,600 leasable square feet.

In October 1976, an Atlanta-based Kessler's opened in a vacant Grants space. By this time, competition from CUMBERLAND MALL was taking its toll on the older shopping facility. Another fatal blow came with the opening of TOWN CENTER AT COBB {7.5 miles north, in Kennesaw}, in February 1986. In order to compete with -yet- another superregional shopping mall in its trade area, a face lift renovation and name change to FOUR SEASONS AT COBB CENTER was done in 1987. Unfortunately, the newer malls in the county won out.

By the mid-1990s, Rich's at FOUR SEASONS AT COBB had been demoted to a Clearance Center. The supermarket, which had been rebranded as a Big Star in 1984, had been shuttered. The closings of Kessler's and Woolworth's followed. The mall went dark in late 1997. The structure was demolished in early 1998, leaving Rich's, its Auto Center and the cinema standing.

These were joined by a newly-built Publix supermarket on the south, and small strip center on the north. Chuck Camp Park, a complex of softball fields, was built in the rear parking area. The new retail complex, known as COBB CENTER, was dedicated in 1999.

Rich's was rebranded as a Rich's-Macy's Clearance Center in 2003 and closed for good in February 2004. In 2009, the 2-level section of the store re-opened as the Imagine International Academy of Smyrna, a public charter school covering kindergarten through grade 8. The official name of the institution was later changed to International Academy Smyrna.

Sources:

The Atlanta Constitution

The Atlanta Journal

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Marietta Daily Journal
Cobb County Georgia tax assessor website
www.cinematreasures.org

"Cobb Center" article on Wikipedia

Atlanta's North Dekalb Center

The original trademark for Greater Atlanta's very first enclosed shopping center. The image included a depiction of the umbrella that you could now leave at home.

Graphic from Scott Development 

Atlanta-based Rich's built their fifth branch at NORTH DEKALB CENTER. The store included two restaurants, the Magnolia Room and The Inn Between, as well as a freestanding Rich's Auto Center.

The posh Rich's North Dekalb department store fronted on a weatherproof "Fountain Mall" of stores and services. 

Rich's Annual Report 1965

NORTH DEKALB CENTER was formally opened in July 1965. The 8 million dollar complex spanned 447,000 leasable square feet and initially contained thirty-nine stores under its roof.

NORTH DEKALB CENTER TENANTS 1965:

RICH'S (with Magnolia Room restaurant, The Inn Between luncheonette and freestanding Auto Center) / F.W. WOOLWORTH 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / COLONIAL STORES supermarket / Atlanta Lamps / Bell Brothers Shoes / Bennett's Jewelers / Butler Shoes / C & C Rexall Drug (with luncheonette) / Casual Corner / Colonial Cleaners / Colony Gift Shop / Dan's Unique Apparel Shops / Davis House cafeteria / Decatur Federal Savings & Loan (outparcel) / Diana Shops / Flagg Brothers Shoes / Freidman's Jewelers / Gateway Bookstore / Gateway Cards & Candy / Gigi's Restaurant / Halpern's Fabrics / Henderson Furniture / Hickory Farms of Ohio / Hirsch's men's wear / Household Finance Corporation / J & J Shoes / John's Coiffeures / Model Cars Speedway / North Dekalb Theatre (single-screen) / Pearle Optical / Pet Village / Playboy Men's Store / Regenstein's ladies' wear / Rice's Casual Shop / Sigger's Beauty Shop / Stockton's men's wear / Thompson-Boland-Lee Shoes / Vaughn Barbers / Weinberg's ladies' wear / Zachry For Men

By the mid-1980s, the shopping hub has gone through a metamorphosis into MARKET SQUARE AT NORTH DEKALB. Its western half was gutted and rebuilt, taking in Woolworth in the process. Two new anchors joined the tenant list; California-based Mervyn's and Massachusetts-based Lechmere. The revitalized complex now spanned 635,000 leasable square feet and housed eighty-five stores. There was free parking for 3,774 autos.

A late '80s view of the new Food Court area, a component of the award-winning reinvention of the center into MARKET SQUARE AT NORTH DEKALB.
Photo from www.nannis.com / Nannis & Associates

A view of the NORTH DEKALB Rich's, which was sporting a Macy's name by the time this photo was taken. The store had been expanded in the mid-1980s. This addition is the single-story portion seen at the front of the building
Photo from Wikipedia / "Ettittle1978"

Burlington (Coat Factory) assumed a vacant Mervyn's / Uptons space in November 2002.  

Photo from www.loopnet.com

The 1980s redo was modestly successful, but the complex was in a downward spiral by the dawn of the 21st century. A demalling was proposed in 2004. The Food Court and Main Entrance would be replaced by a new Costco.

Drawing from https://www.hendonproperties.com / Hendon Properties

In an "Ultimate Plan," more of NORTH DEKALB MALL would have been razed, with a wide boulevard being cut through the structure.

Drawing from https://www.hendonproperties.com / Hendon Properties

The Hendon Properties plans were eventually abandoned. A new owner came on board in mid-2014 and announced that the shopping center demalling, first proposed in 2004, would soon get underway. Meanwhile, NORTH DEKALB MALL would lose its Macy's and Ross stores (both shut down in 2016).

The third in our collection of NORTH DEKALB redevelopment plans dates to 2016. This time around, a mixed-use facility known as DECATUR LANDING was proposed. A Costco store, on the drawing board since 2004, would have operated with various retail, residential, culinary and hospitality components.
Original drawing from https://www.sterlingorganization.com / The Sterling Organization

The AMC North Dekalb 16 was the third theatrical venue to operate at the mall. It showed first features in December 1996. Apparently, the theater will be part of an all-new mall redevelopment tentatively known as NORTH DEKALB. 
Photo from www.sterlingorganization.com / The Sterling Organization

Mass-based Marshalls has maintained a presence at NORTH DEKALB MALL since October 2010. They also plan on relocating into the prospective NORTH DEKALB complex.
Photo from www.sterlingorganization.com / The Sterling Organization

We submit for your approval the fourth -and current- redevelopment plan. If implemented, a new & improved NORTH DEKALB facility will tie together retail, residential, hospitality, office and entertainment components. Apparently, the AMC movie megaplex and Marshalls (surrounded in blue) will be the only section of the mall left standing.  

Original drawing from https://edens.propertycapsule.com / Edens

NORTH DEKALB CENTER
Lawrenceville Highway / US 29 and North Druid Hills Road
Dekalb County, Georgia

Georgia's first enclosed shopping complex opened in 1961. As odd as it might seem, WESTGATE CENTER was not located anywhere near the Atlanta metropolitan area, but was built on the periphery of the City of Macon.

Greater Atlanta's fourth shopping mall -and its first fully-enclosed shopping center, was built on a 65-acre site. This was located 8.7 miles northeast of center city Atlanta, in a section of unincorporated Dekalb County known as Medlock Park. Construction had begun in June 1964. NORTH DEKALB CENTER opened for business on July 29, 1965. Hailed as "the city's first weatherproof shopping center," it was built by Atlanta-based Scott Development and designed by Stevens & Wilkinson of Marietta, Georgia.

The 8.5 million dollar mall eventually housed fifty-four stores and services and encompassed approximately 447,000 leasable square feet. It was anchored by a 2-level (160,000 square foot), Atlanta-based Rich's and 1-level (39,500 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10.

Charter stores included Regenstein's ladies' wear, J & T Shoes, Diana Shops, a Playboy Men's Shop and (21,000 square foot) Colonial Stores supermarket. The Storey Theatres North Dekalb Theatre showed its first feature August 9, 1965. It was later reconfigured as the North Dekalb Twin, which opened in May 1976.

Commercial competitors of NORTH DEKALB CENTER included COLUMBIA MALL (1967) {3.4 miles south, in Dekalb County} and NORTHLAKE MALL (1971) {2.9 miles northeast, also in Dekalb County}.

By the mid-1980s, the shopping hub, now known as NORTH DEKALB MALL, was in decline. Its owner, Toronto-based Cadillac Fairview Shopping Centers, announced a major renovation in October 1985, which got underway in November. Woolworth, vacant by this time, was gutted along with the entire western half of the mall structure.

A new name was formally announced in April 1986; MARKET SQUARE AT NORTH DEKALB. A completely rebuilt -635,000 square foot- complex was officially dedicated on October 16, 1986. There were now eighty-five stores and services. Two new anchors joined the tenant list as part of the renovation. A 1-level (63,300 square foot), Woburn ["woo-burn"], Massachusetts-based Lechmere ["leech-meer"] held its grand opening on August 31, 1986, followed by the dedication of a 1-level (75,200 square foot) Mervyn's, which occurred on October 17th.

Thirty inline stores had been added, including a 9-bay Food Court and expanded movie house, known as the Cineplex Odeon Market Square 4. Rich's was also enlarged. The store now encompassed 196,700 square feet.

Lechmere was the first anchor store to change nameplates. It became a Phar-Mor Drug in 1992, closed and was used as a part of an expanded movie theater. The American Multi-Cinema North Dekalb 16 showed first features on December 13, 1996.

Mervyn's was shuttered in the summer of 1997. Its space was taken by Norcross, Georgia-based Uptons, which opened in the fall of 1997 and closed in the fall of 1999. Burlington Coat Factory began business in the vacant Uptons space in November 2002.

The mall had been renovated in the year 2000. Existing tenants in the center section were relocated, with most of the vacated space being reconfigured as a (30,000 square foot) Ross Dress For Less. A section of the old Lechmere became a Rhodes Furniture, Shoder Furniture and then K & L Furniture. A (28,600 square foot), Massachusetts-based Marshalls opened here on October 21, 2010.

Along with the year 2000 renovation had come a new (well, actually old) name for the shopping center...NORTH DEKALB MALL. In a state of decline by October 2003, the complex was sold to Atlanta-based Hendon Properties. They proposed a second major renovation in 2004.

This was to add a 1-level (152,000 square foot) Costco, which would assume space where the mall's Food Court was located. In a subsequent "ultimate plan," anchor stores -and the cinema- would be left standing, with the middle area of the mall being demolished. A wide boulevard would have been cut through and all stores reoriented into an open-air format.

The local government gave their approval for a demalling plan in 2008. The best case scenario would have had demolition beginning in early 2009, with completion of the project slated for 2010. This never happened. Several years passed, with no demolition or construction taking place. 

In May 2014, NORTH DEKALB MALL was sold to a joint venture of Miami-based Lennar Commercial Investors and the Palm Beach-based Sterling Organization. In the spring of 2016, the mall's Macy's went dark. A renovation, that would change the mall into an open-air venue, was re-proposed. An all-new DECATUR LANDING would house 150,000 square feet of retail, including newly-built Burlington and Marshalls stores. There would be 59,500 square feet of restaurants, 500 residential units, a 150-room hotel and 1-level (152,500 square foot) Costco.

Alas, the DECATUR LANDING proposal had been abandoned by the 2020s. South Carolina's Edens acquired the moribund mall in September 2021. A fourth redevelopment scenario was announced. A new facility, known as NORTH DEKALB, would incorporate the existing cinema and Marshalls store into an open-air town center. This would be comprised of retail, restaurant, entertainment, office, residential and hospitality components. 

Sources:

The Atlanta Constitution

The Atlanta Journal

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Atlanta Business Chronicle
Dekalb County, Georgia property tax assessor website
www.cinematreasures.org
www.nannis.com
www.georgiaencyclopedia.com
www.godekalb.com
www.northdekalbmall.com
http://www.decaturish.com

https://www.hendonproperties.com
www.sterlingorganization.com

https://edens.com

"North Deklab Mall" article on Wikipedia

Atlanta's Columbia Mall

In the mid-1960s, there was a rush to build Greater Atlanta's first fully-enclosed mall. Decatur's NORTH DEKALB CENTER opened in July 1965. GREENBRIAR CENTER was completed in September. The third enclosed complex in -or around- Atlanta was originally known as COLUMBIA MALL. It started with freestanding Sears and Davison's stores; both opened in 1964. 

In this photo from August 1964, we see that individual Sears and Davison's department stores are in operation. A mall that will connect the two is yet to be built.
Photo from Sears, Roebuck & Company Annual Report 1964

The inline store section of COLUMBIA MALL was over 3 years in the making. The dumbell plan shopping hub, and its initial twenty stores and services, were officially dedicated in November 1967. At this time, the complex encompassed approximately 350,000 leasable square feet, with free parking for 2,000 autos.

COLUMBIA MALL STORES 1967:

SEARS (with Coffee House, Garden Center and freestanding Auto Center) / DAVISON'S (with Coiffures Americana Beauty Salon and Peppermint Snack Bar) / Barricini Candies / Bond Clothes / Castro Convertibles / Davison's Budget Shop / French Cafe / Golden Key Shop / Hahn Shoes / Holiday Shoes / Jarman Shoes / John's Coiffures / Joiner's Barber Shop / Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio / Parklane Hosiery / Pearle Optical / Yankee Trader Gifts / Thom McAn Shoes / Walter R. Thomas Jewelers / Whitney 

The COLUMBIA complex was an early casualty of the over-malling of Greater Atlanta. By the mid-1980s, the shopping center was in decline. It was renovated, retenanted and re-named AVONDALE MALL. A re-grand opening was held in October 1985, with the shopping venue encompassing approximately 360,900 leasable square feet and thirty-nine stores and services.

AVONDALE MALL TENANTS 1985:

DAVISON'S-MACY'S / SEARS SURPLUS STORE / Davison's-Macy's Clearance Center / Barrett Shoes / Cherries ladies' wear / Easy TV & Appliance / Eckerd Drugs / ETC Gifts / Fresh Fruits & Naturals / Frontier Fruit & Nut / Great Expectations / Gussini Shoes / H & R Block / Hahn Shoes / Hats & Handbags / International News Rack / Jewelles / National Automobile Service Association (outparcel) / Kay Jewelers / Lee's Children Shop / Louise Falker Custom Jewelry / M. Larry Gifts / Market Research / Neal's Cookies / Oriental Toys & Gifts / Rainbow Records / Real Jewelry / Sav-on-Pots-n-Plants / Sears Dry Cleaners / Shalimar Jewelry / Six Star variety store / Step Ahead, Incorporated /  Stuarts ladies ready-to-wear / Sunshades 

FOOD COURT

Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream / Eat & Run Sandwich Shoppe / Joe Field's Delicatessen / Marcille's Hot Dogs / Piece of the Pie Pizza 

The mid-1980s reinvention of COLUMBIA-AVONDALE MALL was not successful. The facility continued to founder. It closed for good in December 2001. In the photo above, we see the past its prime property as it awaited a wrecking ball renovation.
Photo from Wikipedia / "Etittle78"

AVONDALE MALL bit the dust in 2006. A bitter battle had been fought to keep that well-known Bentonville-based retailer from building a SuperCenter. Eventually, they prevailed. Above, we see the SuperCenter that opened on the old mall site in March 2008.
Photo from www.bing.com

COLUMBIA MALL
Memorial and South Columbia Drives
Dekalb County, Georgia

On April 10, 1963, ground was broken at an 8.6-acre site, located 6.8 miles east of Atlanta's Five Points. The land parcel was situated in a section of unincorporated Dekalb County known as Belvedere Park. A fully-enclosed "shopper mall" was planned for the parcel. COLUMBIA MALL, designed by Atlanta's Toombs, Amisano & Wells firm, would be built by a joint venture of Homart Development (a Sears subsidiary) and D & D Properties (an R. H. Macy & Company subsidiary).

The first COLUMBIA MALL structure was a 2-level (124,000 square foot), Atlanta-based Davison's. This freestanding store opened for business May 14, 1964. It was followed by a 2-level (116,600 square foot) Sears. Also built as a freestanding structure, Sears was officially dedicated on August 5, 1964.

It would take over 3 years for the mall section in the middle to be completed. When dedicated, on November 9, 1967, the fully-enclosed COLUMBIA MALL covered approximately 350,000 leasable square feet and housed twenty stores and services. Among these were Barricini Candies, Parklane Hosiery, Bond Clothes and Thom McAn Shoes. When fully-leased, COLUMBIA MALL housed twenty-seven tenant spaces. A Walgreen Drug was dedicated on April 10, 1969.

Shopping hubs in the COLUMBIA MALL trade area included NORTH DEKALB CENTER (1965) {3.4 miles north} and SOUTH DEKALB MALL (1970) {3.1 miles south, also in Dekalb County}.

By the early 1980s, COLUMBIA MALL had been outpositioned by the proliferation of shopping malls in Greater Atlanta. The complex was in a downward spiral that was exacerbated by the closing of its Sears, on January 28, 1984. In February, the struggling shopping venue was acquired by a joint venture of Cadillac-Fairview Shopping Centers (US), Limited and Atlanta's D. Scott Hudgens. They initiated a 4.5 million dollar, post-modern face lift. 

As part of the indoor-outdoor renovation, the first level of the vacant Sears was divided into inline retail spaces, including a (30,000 square foot) Sears Surplus Store. The upper floor included a 5-bay Food Court. The opposite end of the shopping hub was anchored by its original tenant, by this time operating as a Davison's-Macy's.

A formal dedication was held on October 10, 1985. The complex would be known, henceforth, as AVONDALE MALL. The retail hub housed thirty-seven stores and services. These included Rainbow Records, Eckerd Drugs, ETC Gifts, Easy TV & Appliance, Stuarts ladies ready-to-wear and Kay Jewelers. 

Davison's-Macy's morphed into a standard Macy's on November 17, 1985. This store would be shuttered in August 1992. Its upper floor was, then, reconfigured as the O'Neill Theatres Avondale Mall Cinema 16, which opened for business on July 15. 1994.

Alas, the mid-'80s reinvention of the mall was not entirely successful. By the mid-1990s,  the complex was in another downward spiral. Its shopping concourse was populated by mom & pop-type stores such as Direct Imports, Gold Plus and Bernard's Records.

AVONDALE MALL was sold to Newnan, Georgia's Thomas Enterprises in December 1999. Under its new proprietor, the shopping center continued to decline. On December 31, 2001, its remaining merchants closed for good. The abandoned facility languished for several years, while a protracted battle was fought between Wal-Mart and Stop Wal-Mart, a consortium of local citizens opposed to plans to raze the mall and replace it with a SuperCenter.

By late 2006, the war had been won by the Bentonville retailer. A wrecking ball was brought in and the mall had been reduced to rubble by early 2007. A 1-level (182,000 square foot) Wal-Mart SuperCenter welcomed its first shoppers on March 7, 2008.

Sources:

The New York Times

The Atlanta Constitution

The Atlanta Journal

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

www.dekalbhistory.org / "Columbia Mall - Avondale Mall Time Capsule"
Dekalb County Georgia tax assessor website
http://movie-theatre.org / Mike Rivest
"Avondale Mall" article on Wikipedia

Atlanta's Greenbriar Center

Greater Atlanta's fifth mall was also its second fully-enclosed shopping complex. GREENBRIAR CENTER was anchored by Rich's sixth branch. The store is seen on the right side of this image.
Drawing from Edwards & Portman Architects

The 3-story Rich's Greenbriar encompassed 160,000 square feet. It included the posh Magnolia Room restaurant, which overlooked the Rich's Square mall court. A freestanding Rich's Auto Center stood on the southwest corner of the shopping center site.
Drawing from Edwards & Portman Architects

A Piccadilly Cafeteria occupied the northwest corner of the mall. The store covered 12,600 square feet and was decorated in a Mediterranean motif.
Drawing from Edwards & Portman Architects

A vintage view of a court area in the original GREENBRIAR CENTER. The tall structure seen off in the distance is a bird aviary, which was a common fixture in a 1960s shopping mall.
Photo from the Scenic South Card Company

A potent of things to come, shopping mall-wise. Chick-Fil-A opened its first mall store, at GREENBRIAR, on June 25, 1967.
Photo from Chick-Fil-A, Incorporated

GREENBRIAR CENTER encompassed 650,000 leasable square feet on 2 floors; the Mall Level and Hollywood Terrace (or Lower Level). The complex contained an initial forty-seven stores and services under its vaulted ceiling. Its bi-level parking area could accommodate 5,400 autos.

GREENBRIAR CENTER TENANTS 1965:

RICH'S (with Beauty Salon, Magnolia Room restaurant and freestanding Auto Center) / J.C. PENNEY (with Beauty Salon and Coffee Shop) / F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / KROGER supermarket / Andrews Hair Styles / Arthur's Men's & Boys Shop / Baker's Shoes / Briarcliff-on-Peachtree, Incorporated / Binder's Gift & Frame Shop / Butler's Shoes / Cole National Key Company / Dwarf House of Gifts / East Point Amusement Company / Greenbriar Theatre (single-screen) / Elson's Greenbriar Book Store / Fabric Center / First National Bank of Atlanta / Franklin Simon / Friedman's Jewelers / Halpern's / Haverty's Furniture / Hirsch's men's wear / Household Finance Corporation / J & J Shoes / J.P. Allen ladies' wear / Jarman Shoes / Kinney Shoes / Lander's Cleaners / Lee's Men's Shop / Lerner Shops / Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio / Muse's / National Carpet / Pair Personnel / Pearle Optical / Pet Village / Piccadilly Cafeteria / Schwobilt Clothes / Singer's Casual Shop / Size 5-7-9 Shops / SupeRx Drugs / Thompson, Boland & Lee Shoes / Thom McAn Shoes / Vaughn's Barber Shop / Weinberg's ladies' wear / Werner's Card Shop / Zachry For Men