Macon Mall
Encyclopedia
Macon Mall is a two level, 1448200 square feet (134,542.2 m²) regional shopping mall
located in Macon, Georgia
. The mall features Macy's
, Belk
, JCPenney and Sears as its anchor stores, as well as a two level food court
.
, Belk Matthews, JCPenney, and Sears. A Woolworth was added later which went bankrupt and today sits as the upstairs food court. The opening of Macon Mall led to the demise of Macon and Georgia's first enclosed mall, Westgate Mall
down the street. At opening date the mall was filled with hundreds of light bulbs in a disco-style theme. This appearance quickly became dated and was expensive to maintain, leading to the mall's first renovation in 1983. The food court was added in 1986 and Davison's changed over to Macy's
, due to Federated Department Stores eliminatning the Davison's name.
and Parisian as anchors. This made the mall more upscale and added over forty new stores in a wing on the otherside of JCPenney. This expansion made Macon mall the largest mall in the state of Georgia for two years until Mall of Georgia
opened in 1999 in Gwinnett County. Subsequently Perimeter Mall
and Lenox Square
both trumped Macon Mall in size respectively, pushing it to fourth largest mall in the state of Georgia, however it was still the largest outside of Metro Atlanta. Two parking garages were constructed on the new wing to handle the increase in business and decrease in parking. An extra level was also added to the food court that brought in Atlanta Bread Company
, Sbarro
, and Time Out Arcade. (All are now closed) Macy's changed over to Rich's
in 1998. In the years following the expansion, Macon Mall ran a near monopoly on regional retail. In fact the slightest competition didn't come until 2001 when a new power center named Eisenhower Crossing opened down the street and took the Old Navy
from the mall. Federated Department Stores
announced they were eliminating all of their regional names in favor of Macy's in the mid-2000s and Rich's at Macon Mall was changed back to Macy's in 2005. Belk also dropped the "Matthews" name from their store and Steve & Barry's opened a large store on the upper level of the Sears wing in 2005.
. In 2008, The Shoppes at River Crossing
, a new lifestyle center
, opened in North Bibb County
and took Dillard's from Macon Mall. Dillard's stated they could better serve the market with one store, but their departure was speculate to be because of the mall's debt issues. With Dillard's gone, this leaves the two anchor stores added to the mall in 1997 vacant, and the mall performance began to deteriorate rapidly. This in turn created a ripple effect and many tenants began to depart the mall in 2009, such as Abercrombie & Fitch
, Ann Taylor Loft, Eddie Bauer
, Hollister Co.
, The Gap, Charlotte Russe, New York & Company
, f.y.e.
, Ruby Tuesday, Piccadilly Cafeteria, and Steve and Barry's. Some of these stores moved to The Shoppes at River Crossing, many left the Macon area entirely, and some closed due to corporate bankruptcies like Steve & Barry's
, B. Dalton
, Linens N Things, and KB Toys
just to name a few.) The Movie Tavern that was suppose to open in spring 2009, in the former Parisian building, never did mainly due to the mall's financial issues. The upper level of the food court has been completely abandoned. This exodus of retailers is a direct result of Dillard's vacancy, new competition, and the weakened economy. In 2009, Macon Mall introduced Art Space. This is the second art space concept in a mall in the U.S. The first is Crestwood Court
outside of St. Louis. More in-line tenants closed in 2010 like Express, Yankee Candle, Wet Seal
, Subway
, and Chick-Fil-A
.
. They planned to demolish the east wing of the mall beginning with the vacant Parisian building. The former Dillard's building would remain and the area in front of it would then be turned into parking and green space. The original and remaining portion of the mall, which has fared better in recent years, was renovated. The art space tenants in the 1997 addition were asked to vacate, while the remaining inline tenants were asked to move to the west wing. While many did (Rue 21, Finish Line, Spencer's), there were some who left the mall including American Eagle Outfitters
, Victoria's Secret
, and Sunglass Hut. Hull Storey Gibson hopes that with the excess space removed, the mall will begin to prosper again and attract new tenants. Besides the aforementioned retailers, other tenants to close this year include Wendy's and Jonita's Press Club. Demolition began on August 15, 2011. Once demolition is complete, North Point Mall
in Alpharetta outside Atlanta will take Macon Mall's place as fourth largest mall in Georgia. Macon Mall has signed off with a new restaurant called Smok’n Pig which is supposed to be the largest tenant to sign with the mall. This restaurant is supposed to boost up the economy by hiring up to 150 positions. This restaurant is going to be 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) and take up at least 7 stores including the former Baskin Robbins which is located on the Sears wing of the mall which has the most vacancies. The restaurant is slated to open Thanksgiving of 2011. The entrance stairway and elscalator in the food court as well as the carousel have been removed, while moved Bourbon Street Grill downstairs. Most of the kiosks have been ripped out and urban apparel stores Authentiks and Jimmy Jazz have opened. Also all of the tile has been ripped up for the whole mall to be carpeted. Also the food court has been renovated to look classier. The skylights, ceilings, and lights have been reworked and the mall is expected to have renovations complete by Nov. 19. Demolition of the east wing may extend into very early 2012, however the Parisian building has been completely demolished.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
located in Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
. The mall features Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
, Belk
Belk
Belk is a department store chain founded in 1888 in Monroe, North Carolina, today part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. After the founding of the first Belk store, the company grew in size and influence throughout the South via the chain in the USA, with its stores primarily located in the...
, JCPenney and Sears as its anchor stores, as well as a two level food court
Food court
A food court is generally an indoor plaza or common area within a facility that is contiguous with the counters of multiple food vendors and provides a common area for self-serve dining. Food courts may be found in shopping malls and airports, and in various regions may be a standalone development...
.
History
The mall opened in 1975 as a 1.08 million square foot shopping mall anchored by Davison'sDavison's
Davison's of Atlanta was the major competition to Rich's, once itself an Atlanta shopping institution. The chain took the Macy's name in 1986.-Founding:...
, Belk Matthews, JCPenney, and Sears. A Woolworth was added later which went bankrupt and today sits as the upstairs food court. The opening of Macon Mall led to the demise of Macon and Georgia's first enclosed mall, Westgate Mall
Westgate Mall (Macon, Georgia)
Westgate Shopping Center was the first fully enclosed shopping mall in Georgia. It opened in 1961, which was a year after Eastwood opened in Birmingham. Like Eastwood, Westgate had no department store anchors, though the mall was prominently anchored by JJ Newberry's...
down the street. At opening date the mall was filled with hundreds of light bulbs in a disco-style theme. This appearance quickly became dated and was expensive to maintain, leading to the mall's first renovation in 1983. The food court was added in 1986 and Davison's changed over to Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
, due to Federated Department Stores eliminatning the Davison's name.
1997 Renovation & Expansion
The mall underwent a huge renovation and expansion in 1997 that nearly doubled the size of the mall and added Dillard'sDillard's
Dillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
and Parisian as anchors. This made the mall more upscale and added over forty new stores in a wing on the otherside of JCPenney. This expansion made Macon mall the largest mall in the state of Georgia for two years until Mall of Georgia
Mall of Georgia
Mall of Georgia is a regional shopping mall located in the Mill Creek District of Gwinnett County, Georgia, near the city of Buford, northeast of Atlanta. Built in 1999, it is currently the largest shopping mall in the state of Georgia, consisting of more than two hundred stores on three levels...
opened in 1999 in Gwinnett County. Subsequently Perimeter Mall
Perimeter Mall
Perimeter Mall is a super-regional shopping mall in Dunwoody, Georgia, just north of Atlanta, near the highway interchange of Interstate 285 and Georgia 400....
and Lenox Square
Lenox Square
Lenox Square is an upscale enclosed super regional shopping mall located in the Buckhead District of Atlanta, Georgia. Lenox Square comprises more than of retail space, with 250 stores on four levels, including a large food court. The mall is home to three anchor stores: Macy's, Bloomingdale's,...
both trumped Macon Mall in size respectively, pushing it to fourth largest mall in the state of Georgia, however it was still the largest outside of Metro Atlanta. Two parking garages were constructed on the new wing to handle the increase in business and decrease in parking. An extra level was also added to the food court that brought in Atlanta Bread Company
Atlanta Bread Company
Atlanta Bread Company is a bakery café chain that was originally established in 1993 in the Atlanta suburb of Sandy Springs, Georgia. In 1995, the company began franchising and expanding across the country. As of late 2008, the company has 110 locations in 24 states...
, Sbarro
Sbarro
Sbarro is a bankrupt chain of pizza restaurants that specializes in traditional Italian cuisine, including its most popular menu item "pizza by the slice." Its headquarters is located in Melville, Huntington, New York.- History :...
, and Time Out Arcade. (All are now closed) Macy's changed over to Rich's
Rich's
Rich's was a department store retail chain, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated in the southern U.S. from 1867 until March 6, 2005 when the nameplate was eliminated and replaced by Macy's...
in 1998. In the years following the expansion, Macon Mall ran a near monopoly on regional retail. In fact the slightest competition didn't come until 2001 when a new power center named Eisenhower Crossing opened down the street and took the Old Navy
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
from the mall. Federated Department Stores
Federated Department Stores
Macy's, Inc. is a department store holding company and owner of Macy's and Bloomingdale's department stores. Macy's Inc.'s stores specialize mostly in retail clothing, jewelery, watches, dinnerware, and furniture....
announced they were eliminating all of their regional names in favor of Macy's in the mid-2000s and Rich's at Macon Mall was changed back to Macy's in 2005. Belk also dropped the "Matthews" name from their store and Steve & Barry's opened a large store on the upper level of the Sears wing in 2005.
Late 2000s Decline
Parisian was bought by Belk in for $285 million and the Parisian was closed in 2007. The mall entered foreclosure in 2008, and put under the operation of Jones Lang LaSalleJones Lang LaSalle
Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc. is a multinational financial and professional services company specializing in real estate. Global headquarters are located in Chicago, with an operational remit covering the Americas regional market...
. In 2008, The Shoppes at River Crossing
The Shoppes at River Crossing
The Shoppes at River Crossing is a super regional lifestyle center located in Macon, Georgia, U.S.A.. It was developed by General Growth Properties, as a response to the declining area for higher-end retail around Macon Mall...
, a new lifestyle center
Lifestyle center (retail)
A lifestyle center is a shopping center or mixed-used commercial development that combines the traditional retail functions of a shopping mall with leisure amenities oriented towards upscale consumers...
, opened in North Bibb County
Bibb County, Georgia
Bibb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 153,887. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 154,709...
and took Dillard's from Macon Mall. Dillard's stated they could better serve the market with one store, but their departure was speculate to be because of the mall's debt issues. With Dillard's gone, this leaves the two anchor stores added to the mall in 1997 vacant, and the mall performance began to deteriorate rapidly. This in turn created a ripple effect and many tenants began to depart the mall in 2009, such as Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
, Ann Taylor Loft, Eddie Bauer
Eddie Bauer
Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc. is a holding company that operates the Eddie Bauer clothing store chain, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, United States. EBH was formed after Eddie Bauer's former parent company, Spiegel, Inc., went bankrupt in 2003...
, Hollister Co.
Hollister Co.
Hollister Co., sometimes advertised as Hollister or HCo., is an American lifestyle brand by Abercrombie & Fitch Co. The concept was originally designed to attract consumers aged 14–18 through its SoCal-inspired image and casual wear. Goods are available in-store and through the company's online store...
, The Gap, Charlotte Russe, New York & Company
New York & Company
New York & Company, Inc. is a nationwide specialty retailer of women's fashion and accessories.Lerner Shops was founded in 1918 by Samuel A. Lerner and Harold M Lane in NYC. Also born to Samuel in 1918 was Alan Jay Lerner. New York & Company, Inc., its current name under new ownership, is an...
, f.y.e.
F.y.e.
F.Y.E., standing for "For Your Entertainment," is a chain of entertainment media stores in the United States. As one of many Trans World Entertainment brands, it began in 1993 and was expanded in 2001 after buying out and rebranding mall-based Camelot, Strawberries, Record Town and Coconuts stores...
, Ruby Tuesday, Piccadilly Cafeteria, and Steve and Barry's. Some of these stores moved to The Shoppes at River Crossing, many left the Macon area entirely, and some closed due to corporate bankruptcies like Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's was an American retail clothing chain, featuring casual apparel. By mid-2008, the chain operated 276 stores in 39 states. The company was headquartered in Port Washington, New York. The company liquidated all of its stores throughout 2008....
, B. Dalton
B. Dalton
B. Dalton Bookseller was an American retail bookstore chain founded in 1966 by the Dayton's department store chain. Located primarily in shopping malls, B. Dalton competed primarily with Waldenbooks, and operated 798 stores at its peak...
, Linens N Things, and KB Toys
KB Toys
K·B Toys was a chain of mall-based retail toy stores in the United States. It was founded in 1922 by the Kaufman brothers. K·B operated 605 stores in 44 U.S. states, Puerto Rico as well as Guam. It was privately held in Pittsfield, Massachusetts...
just to name a few.) The Movie Tavern that was suppose to open in spring 2009, in the former Parisian building, never did mainly due to the mall's financial issues. The upper level of the food court has been completely abandoned. This exodus of retailers is a direct result of Dillard's vacancy, new competition, and the weakened economy. In 2009, Macon Mall introduced Art Space. This is the second art space concept in a mall in the U.S. The first is Crestwood Court
Crestwood Court
Crestwood Court, formerly known as Crestwood Plaza and Westfield Crestwood, is an enclosed shopping mall in St. Louis, Missouri. Opened in 1957, it was the first major mall in the St. Louis area, and one of the first to have more than one department store. The mall includes one anchor store, Sears,...
outside of St. Louis. More in-line tenants closed in 2010 like Express, Yankee Candle, Wet Seal
Wet Seal
Wet Seal is a young women's clothing retailer headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California. It carries moderately priced brand name and company-designed apparel and accessories...
, Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
, and Chick-Fil-A
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A |"fillet"]]) is a quick service restaurant chain headquartered in College Park, Georgia, United States, specializing in chicken entrées and is known for promoting the company founder's claims of Christian values. Long associated with the southern United States, where it has been a...
.
2011 Renovation and Demolition
In September 2010, it was announced that the mall had been acquired by Hull Storey Gibson of Augusta, GeorgiaAugusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
. They planned to demolish the east wing of the mall beginning with the vacant Parisian building. The former Dillard's building would remain and the area in front of it would then be turned into parking and green space. The original and remaining portion of the mall, which has fared better in recent years, was renovated. The art space tenants in the 1997 addition were asked to vacate, while the remaining inline tenants were asked to move to the west wing. While many did (Rue 21, Finish Line, Spencer's), there were some who left the mall including American Eagle Outfitters
American Eagle Outfitters
American Eagle Outfitters is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by Mark and Jerry Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc., a company which also owned and operated Silverman's Menswear...
, Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American retailer of women's wear, lingerie and beauty products. It is the largest segment of publicly-traded Limited Brands with sales of over US$5 billion and an operating income of $1 billion in 2006...
, and Sunglass Hut. Hull Storey Gibson hopes that with the excess space removed, the mall will begin to prosper again and attract new tenants. Besides the aforementioned retailers, other tenants to close this year include Wendy's and Jonita's Press Club. Demolition began on August 15, 2011. Once demolition is complete, North Point Mall
North Point Mall
North Point Mall, is a super-regional shopping mall, located in Alpharetta, Georgia .The mall opened on October 3, 1993 as one of the largest shopping malls in the country. The mall, originally a Homart property, is now owned and managed by General Growth Properties...
in Alpharetta outside Atlanta will take Macon Mall's place as fourth largest mall in Georgia. Macon Mall has signed off with a new restaurant called Smok’n Pig which is supposed to be the largest tenant to sign with the mall. This restaurant is supposed to boost up the economy by hiring up to 150 positions. This restaurant is going to be 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) and take up at least 7 stores including the former Baskin Robbins which is located on the Sears wing of the mall which has the most vacancies. The restaurant is slated to open Thanksgiving of 2011. The entrance stairway and elscalator in the food court as well as the carousel have been removed, while moved Bourbon Street Grill downstairs. Most of the kiosks have been ripped out and urban apparel stores Authentiks and Jimmy Jazz have opened. Also all of the tile has been ripped up for the whole mall to be carpeted. Also the food court has been renovated to look classier. The skylights, ceilings, and lights have been reworked and the mall is expected to have renovations complete by Nov. 19. Demolition of the east wing may extend into very early 2012, however the Parisian building has been completely demolished.
Anchors
- BelkBelkBelk is a department store chain founded in 1888 in Monroe, North Carolina, today part of the Charlotte metropolitan area. After the founding of the first Belk store, the company grew in size and influence throughout the South via the chain in the USA, with its stores primarily located in the...
(154,369 sq ft) - JCPenney (169,042 sq ft)
- Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(152,876 sq ft) - Sears (202,915 sq ft)
- vacant (172,000 sq ft) former Dillard'sDillard'sDillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
building
Former anchors
- Davison'sDavison'sDavison's of Atlanta was the major competition to Rich's, once itself an Atlanta shopping institution. The chain took the Macy's name in 1986.-Founding:...
opened with mall in 1975; became Macy's in 1986 - Rich'sRich'sRich's was a department store retail chain, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated in the southern U.S. from 1867 until March 6, 2005 when the nameplate was eliminated and replaced by Macy's...
took over Macy's in 1998; became Rich's-Macy's in 2003 - Rich's-Macy's Opened in 2003 from Rich's and Macy's merger; became just Macy's in 2005
- Parisian (102,363 sq ft) opened in 1997; closed in 2007
- Dillard'sDillard'sDillard's, Inc. is a department store chain in the United States, with 330 stores in 29 states. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dillard's locations are concentrated in Texas and Florida; with a major presence in other states including Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Missouri,...
(172,000 sq ft) opened in 1997; closed in 2008
External links
- Macon Mall Official Site
- Hull Storey Gibson Companies, LLC. Property Owner