In this view, we see the central plaza area and LA Fitness facility. It occupies the second-largest tenant space in the complex (Publix inhabits the largest).
Photo from www.seligenterprises.com / Selig Enterprises
A Blockbuster Video on the right occupies the original location of Morrison's Cafeteria. Today, Pet Supermarket leases the space.
Photo from www.seligenterprises.com / Selig Enterprises
ANSLEY MALL
Piedmont Avenue and Monroe Drive
Atlanta, Georgia
As large, regional-class malls were springing up in the Atlanta suburbs, a small, community-class complex was also being built in the city proper. This open-air mini-mall would occupy a 16-acre site, located 3.5 miles northeast of downtown's Five Points.
Planning for ANSLEY MALL got underway in January 1963. The shopping hub was developed by the Atlanta-based Adams-Cates Company and designed by Mastin Associates of Marietta, Georgia. Open-air in format, the single-level structure encompassed approximately 201,400 leasable square feet. Stores began opening in late 1965. Among the first were a SupeRx Drug and (16,500 square foot) Kroger. The latter was developed in conjunction with a new store at GREENBRIAR CENTER.
An official grand opening for ANSLEY MALL was held April 2, 1966. A ceremonial ribbon was cut, with three Hollywood starlets presiding; Donna Douglas, Nancy Kovack and Sue Ane Langdon. The grand dedication festivities included the awarding of several gifts and cash prizes.
Aside from Kroger, the primary stores in ANSLEY MALL were a (27,300 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10 and (18,000 square foot) Colonial supermarket. The tenant roster of the 3.2 million dollar complex listed twenty-six retailers. These included Economy Auto, The Bottle Shop (a wine emporium), Sand Bar Casuals and a (12,000 square foot) Morrison's Cafeteria.
The Weis Theater Circuit Ansley Mall Mini-Cinema opened for business on April 10, 1968. This art house-type venue had one hundred seventy-five seats. It re-opened as the Film Forum on May 10, 1971 and, as the Bijou Cinema, on April 6, 1981. Its final incarnation, as the Ansley Cinema, premiered on January 7, 1983.
Atlanta-based Selig Enterprises had acquired ANSLEY MALL in December 1972. In 1977, the Colonial Stores grocery, on the north end of the mall, had been converted to a Big Star. Other tenants during the late 1970s and early '80s included Regalos a gifts and decorative accessories boutique, Body Bizarre Precious Oils, Ralph's Men's Shop, Ansley Mall Art & Frame Shop, Head Shed Precision Cuts and The Royal Bagel.
Kroger relocated into a new store, located north of the mall proper, on September 26, 1982. The existing SupeRx Drugs moved into the vacated Kroger space. This pharmacy would be rebranded as a Treasury Drug and then operate under the Revco nameplate. A face lift renovation of ANSLEY MALL got underway in May 1983. As part of this 3 million dollar project, common areas were refurbished, certain store interiors redecorated and new signage installed.
The Big Star supermarket was rebranded as an A & P in 1993. The shuttering of Woolworth's, in July 1997, prompted Selig Enterprises to do a modest remodeling. This time around, new landscaping was added to the common area and a new parking lot entrance built.
A & P had closed for good in February 1996. The building was bulldozed, with a new (37,800 square foot) Publix opening on May 28, 1997. Morrison's Cafeteria closed their 31-year-old store and relocated next door, to space once occupied by the mall's cinemas. The new Morrison's served its first meals on October 22, 1997. The restaurant was rebranded as a Piccadilly in 1998. Meanwhile, the ANSLEY MALL Revco had been rebranded by CVS in 1997.
The Piccadilly Cafeteria went dark in 2009 and was succeeded by The Cook's Warehouse. The mall was given an exterior face lift in 2010. This caused rents to rise, resulting in the shuttering of long-term tenants such as Blockbuster Video, The Toy Store and Hallmark Hall of Cards. New businesses coming into ANSLEY MALL included Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries, Intaglia Home Connection, Mattress Firm and Panera Bread.
Sources:
The Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Journal
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
http://www.med.emory.edu/CME/partic/shopping.html / Shopping In Atlanta
Fulton County, Georgia tax assessor website
www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.ansleyatlanta.com/shopping.htm
www.seligenterprises.com
FAIR USE OF ANSLEY MALL IMAGE:
The image from The Georgia State University Special Collections / Tracy O'Neal Photographic Collection illustrates a key moment in the mall's history that is described in the article. The image is not replaceable with a free-use or public-domain image. The use of the image does not limit the copyright owners' rights to distribute it in any way. The image is being used for non-profit, informational purposes only and its use is not believed to detract from the original image in any way.
