Recent news that the owners of North DeKalb Mall are finally progressing in their redevelopment brought renewed interest in the status of Northlake Mall. ToNeTo Atlanta exclusively reported in early 2016 that Texas-based developer ATR Corinth Partners had purchased Northlake Mall and saw "tremendous potential" in its future prospects. Over two years later, there is little visible evidence that any work has been done to bring anything new to the mall. We reached out to Tony Ruggeri, partner at ATR, to get an update on the project.
In a phone conversation Thursday, Ruggeri stressed that he and his team are very much committed to the redevelopment of Northlake Mall and that it will include new retailers, restaurants and a mixed-use component. Ruggeri commiserated with residents unhappy with the amount of time that has passed since the project was first announced, He and his team had hoped to have started site work already. "Sometimes things happen that are beyond our control, there are many variables involved in a project of this scale" he said. According to Ruggeri, working with DeKalb County has been largely problem-free and the glacial pace at which the development may seem like it's progressing is a result of the retail climate and economy as a whole, rather than county delays or lack of interest in the project.
Originally built in 1971, Northlake Mall was for much of its life owned by mall powerhouse Simon Property Group. The 962,000 square foot mall is located off I-285, bordered by Briarcliff Road, Henderson Mill Road and Northlake Parkway, and is today anchored by JCPenney, Sears, and Macy's.
Given the mall is nearly 50 years old, there are infrastructure concerns to be addressed, as well as updates that need to be made to the property as a whole. Ruggeri and his team have been making bi-monthly trips to the Atlanta area for the past few months as they work through the intricacies of the project.
Ruggeri continues to be tight lipped about what exactly the mall will look like or what businesses will occupy space once his team has accomplished their goal, but he is confident the community will be pleased. According to Ruggeri, he and his team have prepared a revised timeline for beginning work at Northlake Mall and an expected completion date, but he declined to share it.
As things can change in an instant and retailers are under intensified pressure, making an announcement prematurely is unwise. Ruggeri would also like to avoid making promises he and his team are unable to keep. The plan is to under promise and over deliver.
Are you excited for the prospects of a rejuvenated Northlake Mall? What would you like to see open at the mall property? What is your favorite memory of Northlake Mall in its heyday?
Please share your thoughts below.