Tucker City Council discusses Northlake Mall's transformation into mixed-use complex

Northlake Mall's transformation into mixed-use complex

The future of the largely vacant Northlake Mall was front and center at Monday night’s Tucker City Council meeting, where the mall’s owners unveiled early plans to transform the aging retail space into a mixed-use development with nearly 500 housing units.

TUCKER, Ga. - The future of the largely vacant Northlake Mall was front and center at Monday night’s Tucker City Council meeting, where the mall’s owners unveiled early plans to transform the aging retail space into a mixed-use development with nearly 500 housing units.

What they're saying:

The proposal calls for building 495 residential units on mall property in multiple phases. While no formal application has been submitted, the owners said they were seeking input from the city before moving forward.

"Multifamily is the savior. It not only brings revenue and energy, but it brings people," a representative for the developers said during the meeting.

Northlake Mall, which straddles the city of Tucker and unincorporated DeKalb County, has long struggled with declining foot traffic and shuttered storefronts. Some business owners fear the redevelopment could put them in limbo once again.

"That pretty much means something's going to get torn down so that they can build, you know, the apartments," said Tony Cade, owner of Challenges Games and Comics, which relocated to Northlake from North DeKalb Mall after a similar redevelopment displaced tenants there.

"I'm kind of hoping that I'm not going to have to turn around and move, because I just had to do that two years ago," Cade added. "Definitely would like, you know, more vendors here in the mall, you know, to bring in some walk-through traffic."

Tucker councilmembers expressed cautious interest in the plan but said they want more details before giving their support.

"We just want to see a cohesive plan on how if someone lived here what their life would be like," said Councilmember Vinh Nguyen.

Residents also voiced mixed feelings. Vicki Warren, a longtime Tucker resident, said the mall holds sentimental value. "My first job was in that mall at what used to be called Davidson’s," she said.

Despite the current vacancies, Warren sees potential for revitalization, especially with Emory Healthcare recently opening offices at the mall.

"They’re building more single-family housing in the general area. I think even Emory could bring in more people if they wanted to," she said. "It’s got potential."

WATCH THE MEETING

History of Northlake Mall

The backstory:

Northlake Mall, which opened on Oct. 6, 1971, was once the largest mall in the metro Atlanta area. Built on more than 80 acres in the Northlake community of DeKalb County, it originally featured over 100 stores across one million square feet of space. Anchor tenants included Davison’s, Sears, and JCPenney.

The mall was developed by a team that included Frank Carter and Ewell Pope of Atlanta, Trammell Crow of Dallas, and Monumental Properties of Baltimore. Its strategic location near LaVista Road and I-285, along with amenities such as skylights, fountains, and a variety of eateries like Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour and El Chico, helped establish it as a major regional shopping destination.

But like malls across the country, Northlake struggled as consumer habits shifted toward online shopping and newer retail centers. In the decades following its peak, the mall underwent several renovations and ownership changes. Simon Property Group managed the site until 2014, before selling it to Texas-based ATR Corinth Partners in 2016.

ATR Corinth has since focused on repurposing the aging mall, leasing the former Sears building to Emory Healthcare, which has transformed it into a major off-site medical facility. Emory’s presence has helped anchor the mall’s revival, including its use as a COVID-19 vaccination site and plans to house over 1,600 employees in redeveloped office space.

What's next:

For now, the redevelopment remains in its conceptual phase. The mall’s owners say no timeline has been set for when the project might begin.