North Point Mall
Encyclopedia
North Point Mall, is a super-regional shopping mall, located in Alpharetta, Georgia
(a suburb of Atlanta).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. ("North Point Mall" Is also the name of a fictional shopping mall in the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
video game.)
from a bucolic town of pastures and horse farms into the bustling community of mansions, upscale restaurants, and shops that it is today, opened with space for six anchor stores (the most in one mall in Georgia at that time). Only five of these spaces were originally occupied: Rich's
, Lord & Taylor
, Mervyn's, JCPenney, and Sears
. It was originally believed that Macy's
would be a sixth anchor, but the R.H. Macy Co. was bankrupt that year and sold out to Federated Department Stores
, which owned Rich's, a year later. One of the more distinctive elements of the mall was the Rich's store, which was designed with numerous distinctive historical elements and a more elaborate design to pay tribute to its lost flagship
store in downtown Atlanta, which had closed only two years earlier. Though it became a Macy's in 2005, the outside of the store retains the elaborate sculptings of the original store.
filled the sixth pad on the east side of the mall the following year. A large parking deck was also constructed next to Dillard's. Though JCPenney converted most of the former Mervyn's locations, they already had a location at the mall. Instead, Parisian took the spot, making the mall more upscale in the process. In 2005, Lord & Taylor
closed its 115000 sq ft (10,683.8 m²). store at the mall leaving a vacant anchor. The Parisian location was vacated September 2007, as it has been bought out by Belk
, which opened in the former Lord & Taylor
space. In June 2009, Belk announced that its North Point Mall store will close in September 2009.
The mall itself was most recently renovated in 2003, when the interior was modernized to introduce more sitting areas, and in 2004, when an entire escalator was moved from East Court near Starbucks to the Sears wing of the mall.
Another major development occurred in June 2004, when The Cheesecake Factory
opened its third Georgia location (and first location outside of Atlanta) at North Point. The store is located in the mall parking lot just beyond the parking deck. A walking path known as the "yellow brick road" connects the restaurant to the mall's Center Court.
The former outdoor patio area on the food court was turned into public restrooms in 2007.
Midwestern luxury retailer Von Maur
has just announced to take over the vacant Belk
(originally Lord and Taylor) building and open its first Atlanta-market store by the Fall of 2011 or 2012. According to Jim Von Maur, company president, the company is planning to gut the two-story former Belk and expand it to 140000 square feet (13,006.4 m²) from 115000 square feet (10,683.8 m²). The design includes reddish brick, a cupola and columns to echo Georgia and the South.
that sits behind an enormous floor-to-ceiling window in the Food Court. Crafted in Brooklyn
, New York
by the Fabricon Carousel Company, the carousel's hand-painted fiberglass animals were modeled after those of a vintage Victorian carousel on Coney Island
. It was shipped to Atlanta in December 1992 (originally to be displayed in the Perimeter Mall
) and sat in a Warehouse
Near Duluth
for eight months. Then on August 1, 1993 it was brought to the then un-completed North Point Mall, and was assembled in a huge un-finished, high ceiling room that is now known as the Food Court. Shoppers saw it operate for the very first time a few weeks after the grand opening. The carousel was supposed to of been the centerpiece of the mall, however due to a broken part it did not operate until a few weeks after opening day of the mall. Many children enjoyed seeing the realistic looking animals on the carousel.
Von Maur to Enter Atlanta Market
Alpharetta, Georgia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,854 people, 13,911 households, and 8,916 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,631.6 people per square mile . There were 14,670 housing units at an average density of 686.7 per square mile...
(a suburb of Atlanta).The mall opened on October 3, 1993 as one of the largest shopping malls in the country. The mall, originally a Homart
Homart Development Company
Homart Development Company, a subsidiary of Sears, was one of the largest builders of shopping centers and malls in the United States from 1959 to 1995.-Company history:...
property, is now owned and managed by General Growth Properties. ("North Point Mall" Is also the name of a fictional shopping mall in the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
video game.)
Opening
The mall, which played an instrumental role in transforming AlpharettaAlpharetta, Georgia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 34,854 people, 13,911 households, and 8,916 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,631.6 people per square mile . There were 14,670 housing units at an average density of 686.7 per square mile...
from a bucolic town of pastures and horse farms into the bustling community of mansions, upscale restaurants, and shops that it is today, opened with space for six anchor stores (the most in one mall in Georgia at that time). Only five of these spaces were originally occupied: 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...
, Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor, colloquially known as L&T, or LT, based in New York City, is the oldest upscale, specialty-retail department store chain in the United States. Concentrated in the eastern U.S., the retailer operated independently for nearly a century prior to joining American Dry Goods...
, Mervyn's, JCPenney, and Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
. It was originally believed that 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...
would be a sixth anchor, but the R.H. Macy Co. was bankrupt that year and sold out to 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....
, which owned Rich's, a year later. One of the more distinctive elements of the mall was the Rich's store, which was designed with numerous distinctive historical elements and a more elaborate design to pay tribute to its lost flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
store in downtown Atlanta, which had closed only two years earlier. Though it became a Macy's in 2005, the outside of the store retains the elaborate sculptings of the original store.
Anchor Changes
There have been several significant changes within the mall since it opened on October 3, 1993: Mervyn's vacated in December 1995 and 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,...
filled the sixth pad on the east side of the mall the following year. A large parking deck was also constructed next to Dillard's. Though JCPenney converted most of the former Mervyn's locations, they already had a location at the mall. Instead, Parisian took the spot, making the mall more upscale in the process. In 2005, Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor, colloquially known as L&T, or LT, based in New York City, is the oldest upscale, specialty-retail department store chain in the United States. Concentrated in the eastern U.S., the retailer operated independently for nearly a century prior to joining American Dry Goods...
closed its 115000 sq ft (10,683.8 m²). store at the mall leaving a vacant anchor. The Parisian location was vacated September 2007, as it has been bought out by 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...
, which opened in the former Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor
Lord & Taylor, colloquially known as L&T, or LT, based in New York City, is the oldest upscale, specialty-retail department store chain in the United States. Concentrated in the eastern U.S., the retailer operated independently for nearly a century prior to joining American Dry Goods...
space. In June 2009, Belk announced that its North Point Mall store will close in September 2009.
The mall itself was most recently renovated in 2003, when the interior was modernized to introduce more sitting areas, and in 2004, when an entire escalator was moved from East Court near Starbucks to the Sears wing of the mall.
Another major development occurred in June 2004, when The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory, Inc. is a restaurant company in the United States. The company operates 165 upscale, casual, full-service dining restaurants: 151 under The Cheesecake Factory mark, 13 under the Grand Lux Cafe mark and one under the RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen mark...
opened its third Georgia location (and first location outside of Atlanta) at North Point. The store is located in the mall parking lot just beyond the parking deck. A walking path known as the "yellow brick road" connects the restaurant to the mall's Center Court.
The former outdoor patio area on the food court was turned into public restrooms in 2007.
Midwestern luxury retailer Von Maur
Von Maur
Von Maur is an mid-range specialty department store chain with stores located in the Midwestern United States and newly expansion stores in the Southern United States. The chain, based in Davenport, Iowa, sells mid-priced brand-name apparel, accessories, cosmetics, gifts, jewelry and shoes. As of...
has just announced to take over the vacant 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...
(originally Lord and Taylor) building and open its first Atlanta-market store by the Fall of 2011 or 2012. According to Jim Von Maur, company president, the company is planning to gut the two-story former Belk and expand it to 140000 square feet (13,006.4 m²) from 115000 square feet (10,683.8 m²). The design includes reddish brick, a cupola and columns to echo Georgia and the South.
Unique Foodcourt Feature
While North Point Mall is known as a major upscale retail center throughout Georgia and parts of the Southeast, it is perhaps most famous for the carouselCarousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
that sits behind an enormous floor-to-ceiling window in the Food Court. Crafted in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
by the Fabricon Carousel Company, the carousel's hand-painted fiberglass animals were modeled after those of a vintage Victorian carousel on Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
. It was shipped to Atlanta in December 1992 (originally to be displayed in the 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 sat in a Warehouse
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
Near Duluth
Duluth
Duluth may refer to:*Duluth, Minnesota*Duluth, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta*Duluth , an album by Trampled by Turtles*Duluth , by Gore Vidal...
for eight months. Then on August 1, 1993 it was brought to the then un-completed North Point Mall, and was assembled in a huge un-finished, high ceiling room that is now known as the Food Court. Shoppers saw it operate for the very first time a few weeks after the grand opening. The carousel was supposed to of been the centerpiece of the mall, however due to a broken part it did not operate until a few weeks after opening day of the mall. Many children enjoyed seeing the realistic looking animals on the carousel.
Anchors
- 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,...
(Opened 1996, 248151 sq ft (23,054 m²)) - JCPenney (Opened 1993, 120843 sq ft (11,227 m²))
- 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...
(Opened as Rich's 1993, renamed Macy's in 2005; 240000 sq ft (22,296.7 m²)) - Sears (Opened 1993, 134886 sq ft (12,531 m²))
- Von MaurVon MaurVon Maur is an mid-range specialty department store chain with stores located in the Midwestern United States and newly expansion stores in the Southern United States. The chain, based in Davenport, Iowa, sells mid-priced brand-name apparel, accessories, cosmetics, gifts, jewelry and shoes. As of...
(Opening Fall 2011, opened as Lord & Taylor 1993, changed to Belk 2007, 140000 sq ft (13,006 m²))
Out-Lot Restaurants
- California Pizza KitchenCalifornia Pizza KitchenCalifornia Pizza Kitchen , known within the food industry as CPK, is a casual dining restaurant chain that specializes in California-style pizza...
- The Cheesecake FactoryThe Cheesecake FactoryThe Cheesecake Factory, Inc. is a restaurant company in the United States. The company operates 165 upscale, casual, full-service dining restaurants: 151 under The Cheesecake Factory mark, 13 under the Grand Lux Cafe mark and one under the RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen mark...
(opened 2004) - American Girl Boutique and Bistro (Grand Opening: August 18, 2007) (this store/restaurant is actually inside the mall, not in an out-lot)
Former anchors
- Lord & TaylorLord & TaylorLord & Taylor, colloquially known as L&T, or LT, based in New York City, is the oldest upscale, specialty-retail department store chain in the United States. Concentrated in the eastern U.S., the retailer operated independently for nearly a century prior to joining American Dry Goods...
(Opened in 1993 115000 sq ft (10,683.8 m²); closed in 2005 when they left market) - Mervyn's (Opened in 1993, re-opened as Parisian in 1995)
- 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...
(Opened in 1993, renamed Rich's-Macy's in 2002, then renamed Macy's in 2005) - Parisian (Opened in former Mervyn's; closed September 2007, vacant)
- 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...
(Opened in former Lord & Taylor in September 2007; closed in September 2009)
External links
Von Maur to Enter Atlanta Market