100 OAKS was initially an astounding success. However, when the adjacent Interstate 65 expressway was built, no exit to the mall was included. This "you can't get there from here" access problem contributed to a decline of traffic at the shopping hub. In efforts to increase patronage, new graphics were created. The first appeared around 1975. The second, from 1985, accompanied a name change to 100 OAKS MALL.
Graphics from Belz Enterprises
Nevertheless, the complex was on life support by the mid-1980s. Woolco and J.C. Penney had gone south, along with several inline stores. A bold renovation plan was announced in May 1987. The property would be rebuilt, retenanted and renamed NASHVILLE FASHION GALLERIA. This concept never got off the ground. The 20-percent-leased shopping center closed in 1991.
Drawing from Belz Enterprises
A long-delayed remodeling finally got underway in 1995. The mall's exterior was refurbished in a brightly-colored industrial motif.
Photo from http://mallmanac.blogspot.com / 1998 100 Oaks brochure
Likewise, the interior was painted using the same palette. In this image, we see the 2-story Main Entrance area, which had been known as The Great Hall in the original mall.
Photo from https://www.greshamsmith.com / Gresham Smith & Partners
Photo from https://www.greshamsmith.com / Gresham Smith & Partners
