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.
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.
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.
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.
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
www.lenoxsquare.com
www.itsmarta.com
www.library.gsu.edu
www.cinematreasures.org
www.cinematour.com
Fulton County, Georgia property tax assessor website