Location | Stonecrest, Georgia, U.S. |
---|---|
Opening date | October 24, 2001 |
Developer | Forest City Enterprises [1] |
Management | Urban Retail Properties |
No. of stores and services | 120+ |
No. of anchor tenants | 5 (5 open) |
Total retail floor area | 1,162,000 sq ft (108,000 m2) |
No. of floors | 2 |
Website | mallatstonecrest.com |
The Mall at Stonecrest (also referred to and often known as Stonecrest Mall) is a super regional shopping mall along Interstate 20 in eastern Metro Atlanta that opened in 2001 on the growing I-20 corridor. It is off exit 75 [2] in Stonecrest, Georgia, which became a city in 2017. [3]
The mall features the traditional retailers JCPenney, Macy's, and Dillard's. Attached to the mall on the second floor is a movie theater located in the outdoor plaza near the pavilion food court. Other stores and restaurants surround the mall. As of 2014 [update] new restaurants were opening in the plaza as old ones closed. Apartments and condos are also slowly increasing in the area, making Stonecrest a mixed-use community. [4]
The mall was envisioned and planned in the last quarter of the 20th century, with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporting projected opening dates in the late 1980s (after the dedications of Gwinnett Place and Town Center at Cobb) and early 1990s (when North Point Mall opened). Originally proposed names included Turner Hill Mall, Interstate East Mall, and Metro East. Several times the project stalled because of developer issues. One land developer had problems getting retailers to commit (at the time, South DeKalb Mall was still thriving).
The land was cleared several times, and local residents often questioned whether the mall would be built. DeKalb County planners at various times envisioned other things for the area, including a convention center, an outdoor theatre, mid-rise to high-rise apartment units, a MARTA rail station (proposed terminus for the east line), and a satellite college campus. While the county did construct a library (Stonecrest Library), other developments did not go ahead. The mall finally opened on October 24, 2001, featuring Dillard's, JCPenney, Parisian, Rich's, and Sears.
In 2014, the Mayor of Lithonia, Deborah Jackson, proposed three successive plans to annex parts of what are now the City of Stonecrest. The earliest proposal included much of Lithonia Industrial Park, north of I-20. The final, and largest, proposal would have included much of what is now the City of Stonecrest, including Stonecrest Mall; much of the Stonecrest Regional Activity Center; and Lithonia Industrial Park. Numerous business owners in the Industrial Park banded together to fight the proposals. The City Council of Lithonia created a task force of stakeholders to study annexation. Members of the task force demanded that the mayor, at a minimum, obtain a feasibility study for annexation, as well as demonstrate to owners' satisfaction that annexation would not increase their property taxes. Mayor Jackson could not overcome the stakeholders' objections, and plans for annexation were dropped, thereby making possible creation of the new City of Stonecrest. The cityhood bill went through various legislative hurdles at the Georgia General Assembly and in November 2016 was approved by 59% of voters in a public referendum, with elections and official municipal incorporation in spring 2017.
The mall and business corridor were previously served by the South DeKalb Business Association. In 2011, the Stonecrest Business Alliance Incorporated was formed to focus on the Stonecrest Overlay District. With the advent of the new City of Stonecrest, the Business Alliance has extended its membership to all businesses in the city. The sprawling East Metro DeKalb Community Improvement District was created by the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners in 2014. That CID is chronically underfunded, and has undertaken no projects within the City of Stonecrest other than limited off-duty police patrols in the western fringe of the city. It is proposed to be replaced within the City of Stonecrest by the future Stonecrest CID.
In 2006 much of what is now the City of Stonecrest was included in the designation of the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area by Act of Congress. The mall is accessible via the Arabia Mountain PATH, which runs throughout the 40,000-acre (160 km2) area. [5] Stonecrest Mall is one example of how businesses and residences can be included in a national heritage area unlike a national park. [6]
In May 2009, in response to sometimes violent disruption, the management instituted its Parental Involvement Program (derisively known in the community as the "anti-teenager policy"), whereby anyone under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult after a 4pm "curfew" on weekends, or be forced to leave by mall security. [7]
In April 2010, an argument over a parking space led to a stabbing and a shooting. [8]
In December 2011, police had to quell a disturbance at the mall on the day of the release of a new Air Jordan limited edition shoe. The mall was to open at 8 am but at about 7 AM already 200 people were waiting outside. The mall door was pried open and the crowd rushed inside to the door of the store selling the shoes. [9]
In January 2013, it was reported that that mall was "beset by debt issues that could leave it vulnerable to foreclosure". [10]
On November 2, 2017, Sears announced that their location at The Mall at Stonecrest would also be closing as part of a plan to close 63 stores nationwide. The store closed in January 2018.
Kohl's, located in the former Parisian building, closed on November 1, 2016. The structure became offices for the Atlanta Sports City project on October 5, 2017; however, the $200 million project was abandoned in 2019, with litigation by investors ensuing. [11]
On March 4, 2017, the mall opened Round One Entertainment, a bowling and amusement center featuring the latest Japanese arcade games, billiards, karaoke, ping pong, darts, and a restaurant with a full-service bar. The store closed on December 4, 2022. [12]
In November 2021, a SeaQuest opened its largest aquarium in the former Sears store of the shopping mall. [13] [14] The aquarium closed for renovations in June 2023, with plans announced to reopen under new ownership and a new name. [15]
In August 2021, the vacant Kohl's became a Lisa Young beauty supply store. [16]
The mall serves a diverse clientele including blacks and Hispanics, and provides both black and white Santas in the period running up to Christmas. [4] [17]
Lithonia is a city in eastern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The city's population was 2,662 at the 2020 census. Lithonia is in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Mall of Georgia is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia, near the city of Buford, 35 miles (56 km) northeast of Atlanta. Opened in 1999, it is currently the largest shopping mall in the state of Georgia, consisting of 195 stores on three levels. Featured in the mall is a large village section, comprising lifestyle tenants and restaurants in an outdoor setting, as well as a 500-seat amphitheater. In 2018 the Mall of Georgia renovated the indoor food court area by updating the seating arrangements, furniture styles, and color schemes. Mall of Georgia was built by and is still owned by Simon Property Group. A portion of the Ivy Creek Greenway runs along the shopping mall area. The mall features the traditional retailers JCPenney, Belk, Dick's Sporting Goods, Macy's, Dillard's, and Von Maur, in addition to a 20-screen Regal Cinemas which also features IMAX. The anchor stores are Von Maur, Macy's, Dillard's, Belk, JCPenney, Havertys Furniture, Barnes & Noble, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Regal Cinemas.
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Northlake Mall is a shopping mall northeast of Atlanta in the Northlake community of northern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The mall is owned by Texas-based ATR Corinth Partners.
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North DeKalb Mall was an enclosed shopping mall located in unincorporated DeKalb County, near Decatur, a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Opened in 1965, the center currently comprises more than eighty-five stores on one level. The sole remaining anchor store is Marshalls. That store and an AMC multiplex theater will remain. The rest of the mall was demolished in the summer of 2024 and will be replaced with a mixed-use development called Lulah Hills.
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Perimeter Mall is a shopping mall in Perimeter Center, Dunwoody, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, near the interchange of Interstate 285 and Georgia State Route 400. It is the second-largest shopping mall in the state of Georgia, the largest being the Mall of Georgia in Buford, Georgia. The mall features Macy's, Dillard's, Von Maur, and Nordstrom.
Southlake Mall is a shopping mall located in Morrow, Georgia, United States. The mall is in Clayton County and its trade area includes Henry County, one of the fastest-growing areas in Georgia. The mall is located along Interstate 75 and State Highway 54, also known as Jonesboro Road.
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Broadway Square is a shopping mall located in Tyler, Texas. The mall primarily serves the city of Tyler and the surrounding East Texas area. One of only two major malls in East Texas, the mall serves visitors from a large area. Anchor stores are Dick's Sporting Goods, Dillard's and JCPenney.
South County Center is a shopping mall located in Mehlville, Missouri, at the intersection between Interstate 55, Interstate 255, and U.S. Route 50. It opened on October 17, 1963 and was designed by Victor Gruen. it included a dome-roofed Famous-Barr, which became Macy's in 2006, a National Supermarket occupying the basement floor, which closed in 1973, and later JCPenney as anchors. Stix, Baer & Fuller,, was added in 1973 along with a new wing of stores. A Sears, a food court, and additional mall stores were added in 2001. In 2004, Several stores and restaurants were added that could be accessed from outside the mall including Qdoba, Applebee's, Noodle's and Company, and Border's. The anchor stores are Macy's, Dillard's, and JCPenney.
The Arabia Mountain Path (AMP) is a paved biking and hiking trail connecting sites within the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, Georgia, United States, built by the PATH Foundation. The trail covers more than 30 linear miles and features hills, sections of boardwalk, a serpentine bridge, and access to 13 free trail head parking areas. The AMP connects a number of visitor destinations and recreational areas including Panola Mountain State Park, the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, the Mall at Stonecrest, and historic Lithonia, Georgia.
Stonecrest is a city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The boundaries of the city generally lie in the far southeastern corner of the county, and a smaller portion just north of Interstate 20. The city borders the existing municipality of Lithonia, as well as Rockdale and Henry counties.
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The Flat Rock Archives is an African American historical museum located in the city of Stonecrest, Georgia. The mission of the archive is to preserve rural African American history in Georgia. The archive is located in a historic home built by T.A. Bryant, Sr., and was donated in 2005, by Rev. T.A. Bryant, Jr. and his sister, Zudia Guthrie, to preserve and store all the Flat Rock records and documents. It was established as a museum and resource to genealogical and historic research, as well as a heritage tourism site. The Flat Rock Archives consists of a variety of historic sites including the Flat Rock African American Historic Cemetery. All of these sites are located within the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. See Flat Rock, Georgia to learn more about the history of this area.