The mall's first renovation was done in 1987. As part of the face lift, the original '70s Mod decor was replaced with Post Modern elements. The Main Entrance and front facade were rebuilt. On the interior, colored glass skylights and terrazzo flooring were installed. Center Court was also refurbished with a new clock tower elevator and fountain.
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By 1987, one of the original NORTHLAKE anchors had been rebranded. Davison's (which had been an R.H. Macy subsidiary since 1925) was formally "Macy-ated" in 1985. A small Food Court had been installed in the Northwest entrance corridor the year before. With the 1987 renovation, it became the Food Allee. The mall now housed 115 stores.

A larger culinary complex was added to the mall. The Food Garden was dedicated in October 1992. Work would soon get underway on a fourth anchor store. A shuttered Piccadilly Cafeteria, and adjacent stores, were gutted. A Parisian was built, which opened for business in November 1994. There were now 125 stores and around 1,063,000 leasable square feet.