North Dekalb Mall
Encyclopedia
North Dekalb Mall is an enclosed shopping mall
located in Decatur
, a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia
, United States
. Opened in 1965, the center currently comprises more than eighty-five stores on one level. Anchor store
s include Burlington Coat Factory
, Macy's
, Payless Home Furnishings, Marshalls
, and Ross Dress For Less
; the mall also features a food court and multiplex movie theater.
, as well as an Woolworth
dime store. The mall was later renamed North DeKalb Mall.
In 1986, North Dekalb Mall was expanded and renovated with two new anchor stores: department store chains Mervyn's and discount chain Lechmere
. The mall was also renamed Market Square at North DeKalb at this time. Lechmere closed in the early 1990s and was replaced with discount pharmacy chain Phar-Mor
, which closed in 1992 and was eventually replaced with a movie theater.
Mervyns
shuttered all of its Georgia locations in 1997; the store at North DeKalb was replaced by an Uptons
, which closed in 1999, then it became the current Burlington Coat Factory
. Stein Mart was added in the early 1990s, replacing a portion of a mall wing which once housed a Spinnaker's restaurant and smaller mall stores. Old Navy
was also added but later closed. Ross Dress For Less
came inline in the late 1990s, replacing smaller mall stores.
In 2000, the mall's name reverted to North DeKalb Mall. Rich's converted to Rich's-Macy's in 2003, and Macy's in 2005. Rhodes Furniture
closed in 2005 and was converted to Shoder Furniture (the new name being a reversal of the "S" and "R" in "Rhodes"), before changing names again to become K L Furniture. In 2010, Marshalls
has opened next to K L Furniture. There is also a Payless Home Furnishings.
Hendon Properties, which bought the mall for $25 million (USD) in 2003, is planning on bringing a Costco
to the mall. Part of the original plan (2005) for the Costco was to build a parking deck over the flood plain at the rear of the mall, but that plan has been dropped due to opposition from neighborhood groups.
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 Decatur
Decatur, Georgia
Decatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 19,335 in the 2010 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name...
, a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Opened in 1965, the center currently comprises more than eighty-five stores on one level. Anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s include Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 450 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.. In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction...
, 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...
, Payless Home Furnishings, Marshalls
Marshalls
Marshalls, Inc., is a chain of American department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 750 conventional stores, as well as larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store, covering 42 states and Puerto Rico. Marshalls expanded into Canada in March 2011...
, and Ross Dress For Less
Ross Dress For Less
Ross Stores, Inc. , is a chain of American off-price department stores headquartered in Pleasanton, California, operating under the name Ross Dress for Less. It is the third largest off-price retailer in the United States, behind T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, both of which are owned by TJX Companies.As...
; the mall also features a food court and multiplex movie theater.
History
Originally and formerly called North DeKalb Center, the mall first opened July 29, 1965, with fifty-four stores; original anchor stores included Atlanta-based department store Rich'sRich'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...
, as well as an Woolworth
F. W. Woolworth Company
The F. W. Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first successful Woolworth store was opened on July 18, 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store"...
dime store. The mall was later renamed North DeKalb Mall.
In 1986, North Dekalb Mall was expanded and renovated with two new anchor stores: department store chains Mervyn's and discount chain Lechmere
Lechmere
Lechmere was a retail store chain in New England, which closed in 1997.-History:Lechmere Inc. was a retailer of electronics, appliances, and other goods, with 24 stores located throughout New England and New York. The company was founded in the early twentieth century and expanded during the...
. The mall was also renamed Market Square at North DeKalb at this time. Lechmere closed in the early 1990s and was replaced with discount pharmacy chain Phar-Mor
Phar-Mor
Phar-Mor was a United States chain of discount drug stores, based in Youngstown, Ohio, and founded by Michael "Mickey" Monus and David S. Shapira in 1982. Some of its stores used the names Pharmhouse and Rx Place...
, which closed in 1992 and was eventually replaced with a movie theater.
Mervyns
Mervyns
Mervyns was an American middle scale department store chain based in Hayward, California. It carried national brands of clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares. Many of the company's stores were in shopping malls...
shuttered all of its Georgia locations in 1997; the store at North DeKalb was replaced by an Uptons
Uptons
Uptons was a department store based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The chain operated primarily in the Southeastern United States, with locations in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The chain was closed in 1999.-History:Thirty-seven locations...
, which closed in 1999, then it became the current Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory
Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 450 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.. In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction...
. Stein Mart was added in the early 1990s, replacing a portion of a mall wing which once housed a Spinnaker's restaurant and smaller mall stores. 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...
was also added but later closed. Ross Dress For Less
Ross Dress For Less
Ross Stores, Inc. , is a chain of American off-price department stores headquartered in Pleasanton, California, operating under the name Ross Dress for Less. It is the third largest off-price retailer in the United States, behind T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, both of which are owned by TJX Companies.As...
came inline in the late 1990s, replacing smaller mall stores.
In 2000, the mall's name reverted to North DeKalb Mall. Rich's converted to Rich's-Macy's in 2003, and Macy's in 2005. Rhodes Furniture
Rhodes Furniture
The Rhodes Furniture Company was a retail furniture company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Beginning with a single store in downtown Atlanta the company expanded throughout the United States.-History:...
closed in 2005 and was converted to Shoder Furniture (the new name being a reversal of the "S" and "R" in "Rhodes"), before changing names again to become K L Furniture. In 2010, Marshalls
Marshalls
Marshalls, Inc., is a chain of American department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 750 conventional stores, as well as larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store, covering 42 states and Puerto Rico. Marshalls expanded into Canada in March 2011...
has opened next to K L Furniture. There is also a Payless Home Furnishings.
Today
By 2007 North Dekalb Mall was struggling. Taco Bell and Johnny Rockets had closed and traffic at the mall continued to decline despite Park N' Ride services being established for employees of Emory University. Although North Dekalb Mall is located in proximity to several affluent areas including Druid Hills, Decatur, and Avondale Estates, it continues to struggle to find new tenants with certain spaces now vacant for over a year. The establishment of nearby superstores, along with current management's inability to draw in potentially high traffic tenants that have settled in other nearby facilities, continue to hinder the mall's viability.Hendon Properties, which bought the mall for $25 million (USD) in 2003, is planning on bringing a Costco
Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
to the mall. Part of the original plan (2005) for the Costco was to build a parking deck over the flood plain at the rear of the mall, but that plan has been dropped due to opposition from neighborhood groups.
Junior anchors
- Burlington Coat FactoryBurlington Coat FactoryBurlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation is a national department store retailer focusing on clothing and shoes, with over 450 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico.. In 2006, it was acquired by Bain Capital, LLC in a take-private transaction...
- AMC TheatresAMC TheatresAMC Theatres , officially known as AMC Entertainment, Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 5,325 screens, second only to Regal Entertainment Group, and one of the United States's four national cinema chains AMC Theatres (American Multi-Cinema), officially known as...
- Ross Dress For LessRoss Dress For LessRoss Stores, Inc. , is a chain of American off-price department stores headquartered in Pleasanton, California, operating under the name Ross Dress for Less. It is the third largest off-price retailer in the United States, behind T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, both of which are owned by TJX Companies.As...
- Payless Home Furnishings
- MarshallsMarshallsMarshalls, Inc., is a chain of American department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 750 conventional stores, as well as larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store, covering 42 states and Puerto Rico. Marshalls expanded into Canada in March 2011...
- KL Furniture
Former anchors
- 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...
(closed 2005, now Macy's) - WoolworthsF. W. Woolworth CompanyThe F. W. Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first successful Woolworth store was opened on July 18, 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store"...
(closed in mid-1980s) - MervynsMervynsMervyns was an American middle scale department store chain based in Hayward, California. It carried national brands of clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, electronics, and housewares. Many of the company's stores were in shopping malls...
(closed 1997 when chain exits Georgia, later Uptons) - LechmereLechmereLechmere was a retail store chain in New England, which closed in 1997.-History:Lechmere Inc. was a retailer of electronics, appliances, and other goods, with 24 stores located throughout New England and New York. The company was founded in the early twentieth century and expanded during the...
(closed 1997 due to entire chain liquidation) - UptonsUptonsUptons was a department store based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The chain operated primarily in the Southeastern United States, with locations in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The chain was closed in 1999.-History:Thirty-seven locations...
(closed 1999, now Burlington Coat Factory)