North DeKalb Mall
A former enclosed shopping mall in DeKalb County, Georgia, near Decatur and the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
North DeKalb Mall was an enclosed shopping center in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, near Decatur and within the Atlanta metropolitan area. The property opened on July 29, 1965, as North DeKalb Center with 54 stores. Designed by Barrett + Associates, Architects, it initially included Atlanta department-store chain Rich's and Woolworth as anchor tenants. The center became part of the suburban retail infrastructure serving communities east of Atlanta and was positioned as a conventional, automobile-oriented regional shopping destination. The mall underwent a substantial expansion and renovation in 1986. Two additional anchors, Mervyn's and Lechmere, were introduced, and the property was renamed Market Square at North DeKalb. The format subsequently changed as retailers entered and exited the center. Lechmere closed in 1989 and was replaced by Phar-Mor, which itself departed in 1992. The former space later accommodated a 16-screen AMC multiplex and Rhodes Furniture. Mervyn's withdrew from Georgia in 1997; its location was briefly occupied by Uptons, then by Burlington. Other tenants over the years included Stein Mart, Old Navy, Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, furniture retailers, restaurants, specialty shops, and entertainment venues. Ownership and redevelopment proposals became increasingly important as traditional enclosed-mall retail weakened. Hendon Properties acquired the property in 2003 for $25 million and considered bringing Costco to the site, although that proposal did not become a long-term anchor solution. On May 15, 2014, Lennar, in partnership with Sterling Organization, purchased the mall for an undisclosed amount and proposed converting the enclosed center into an open-air development. Macy's, one of the remaining major anchors, closed in spring 2016. The property continued to receive some traffic from the AMC theater and from Emory University employees who used its large parking areas as a staging point for rideshare and commuter transportation. The mall also developed an afterlife as a filming location. Scenes for Clint Eastwood's 2018 film The Mule were shot in the parking lot. Vacant interior storefronts were dressed as period retail locations for the Fear Street trilogy in 2019, and portions of the property were used in 2021 for the live-action film A Loud House Christmas. These productions temporarily repurposed otherwise unused retail space but did not reverse the center's commercial decline. By October 1, 2020, North DeKalb Mall had officially closed because of weak sales and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Marshalls and AMC Theatres continued operating in parts of the property. The site was sold to Edens in 2019, and Edens pursued redevelopment into a mixed-use project named Lulah Hills. Preliminary plans became publicly available through a local public-records request in February 2022. Demolition of the principal mall structures began in June 2024. The former mall is therefore best understood as a defunct retail property undergoing replacement rather than as an operating shopping-mall brand.
History
North DeKalb Mall originated as North DeKalb Center, an enclosed suburban shopping center that opened on July 29, 1965, in unincorporated DeKalb County near Decatur, Georgia. The center was designed by Barrett + Associates, Architects, and began with 54 stores. Its original anchors included Rich's, an Atlanta-based department-store chain, and Woolworth. The mall was built during the expansion of suburban retail around Atlanta and depended on regional automobile access and department-store traffic. During the late 1960s, proposed plans to extend the Stone Mountain Freeway threatened to require demolition of the property. Those plans were not implemented, allowing the mall to continue operating. In 1986, the center was expanded and renovated. Mervyn's and Lechmere were added as anchors, and the property adopted the name Market Square at North DeKalb. The subsequent history of the mall reflected the volatility of American enclosed retail. Lechmere departed in 1989, followed by Phar-Mor's occupation of the space and its closure in 1992. The former location was ultimately adapted for a 16-screen AMC cinema and Rhodes Furniture. Mervyn's closed all of its Georgia stores in 1997. Its North DeKalb location became an Uptons store, which closed in 1999, and later became Burlington. Other tenant changes included the addition and eventual departure of Stein Mart, the replacement of Old Navy by Ross Dress for Less, and several furniture-store conversions. Rhodes Furniture was briefly followed by Shoder Furniture before the space became Marshalls in 2010. These changes preserved some activity but also demonstrated the mall's gradual transition from a department-store-centered model to a mix of off-price retail, entertainment, and smaller tenants. Hendon Properties bought the mall in 2003 for $25 million and explored the possibility of adding Costco as a major anchor. The proposal did not produce a lasting Costco presence. In 2014, Lennar and Sterling Organization acquired the property and discussed converting the enclosed mall to an open-air format. Macy's closed its anchor store in spring 2016, leaving the center with fewer conventional department-store attractions. Traffic was partly sustained by AMC Theatres and by the use of the mall's extensive parking lots by Emory University employees arranging rideshare transportation. The property also became useful for film production because of its vacant storefronts and aging interior. The parking lot was used for Clint Eastwood's 2018 film The Mule. In 2019, empty shops were dressed as period retail spaces for the Fear Street trilogy. Parts of the mall were used again in 2021 for A Loud House Christmas. By October 1, 2020, the mall had officially closed amid poor sales and the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Marshalls and AMC continued operating in surviving portions of the property, but the enclosed shopping center no longer functioned as a conventional mall. Edens acquired the property in 2019 and proposed replacing it with a mixed-use development called Lulah Hills. Preliminary plans were reported publicly in February 2022 after a records request. Demolition began in June 2024. North DeKalb Mall consequently moved from an operating retail center into a redevelopment phase, with its former site being transformed rather than maintained as an enclosed mall.
- 2024
Demolition begins
[1]Demolition began in June for the Lulah Hills mixed-use redevelopment.
- 2020
Mall operations end
[1]The mall officially closed on October 1, although Marshalls and AMC continued operating.
- 2016
Macy's closes
[1]The Macy's anchor closed in spring, reducing the mall's department-store offering.
- 2014
Lennar and Sterling Organization acquisition
[1]The property changed hands and a conversion to an open-air retail concept was proposed.
- 2003
Hendon Properties acquisition
[1]Hendon Properties acquired the mall for $25 million.
- 1986
Expansion and renaming
[1]A major renovation added Mervyn's and Lechmere and introduced the Market Square at North DeKalb name.
- 1965
North DeKalb Center opens
[1]The center opened on July 29 with 54 stores and Rich's and Woolworth as original anchor tenants.
Products and positioning
A suburban, automobile-oriented enclosed shopping mall serving DeKalb County and the eastern Atlanta metropolitan area, later repositioned as a redevelopment site after long-term tenant losses and declining mall traffic.
Shopping center · 1965
Enclosed shopping mall retail
The mall's core offering was a climate-controlled retail environment containing department stores, specialty shops, discount retailers, restaurants, and service businesses. Its tenant mix changed substantially over time as traditional anchors departed and off-price, furniture, and entertainment uses became more prominent.
Entertainment · 1992
AMC multiplex theater
A 16-screen AMC multiplex occupied space that had previously been associated with Phar-Mor and later furniture retail. The theater was one of the surviving uses after regular mall operations ended and helped maintain some visitor traffic at the property.
Off-price retail · 2010
Marshalls
Marshalls became one of the principal surviving retail tenants after the closure of the enclosed mall. The store occupied space associated with the former Rhodes and Shoder Furniture sequence and remained open after the wider property ceased functioning as a mall.
Brand decisions
2019
Edens advances Lulah Hills redevelopmentStrategyBackground
Declining retail activity and vacant space made continued operation as a conventional enclosed mall increasingly impractical.
Action taken
Edens planned to replace the mall site with a mixed-use development called Lulah Hills.
Aftermath
Preliminary plans were publicly reported in 2022, and demolition began in June 2024.
2014
Proposal to convert the enclosed mall to an open-air conceptStrategyBackground
The owners faced anchor departures and broader structural pressure on enclosed shopping centers.
Action taken
Lennar and Sterling Organization proposed repositioning the property as an open-air retail development.
Aftermath
The enclosed mall ultimately closed, and the property later moved toward a larger mixed-use redevelopment under Edens.
2003
Hendon Properties acquires the mallM&ABackground
The property changed ownership during a period when enclosed malls were seeking new anchors and alternative uses.
Action taken
Hendon Properties purchased North DeKalb Mall for $25 million and considered bringing Costco to the site.
Aftermath
The Costco concept did not become a lasting anchor, and later ownership pursued a different redevelopment direction.
Acquisition price. $25 million (2003 acquisition)
Sources1 sources
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