Metro malls have taken different paths to staying relevant (or not) as retailing and consumer tastes change. Here’s a sample of what’s happening with some major players:
Cumberland Mall — This once aging Cobb County mall found new life after owner General Growth Properties brought Costco on board and reworked its space to include popular sit-down restaurants such as Cheesecake Factory and Maggiano's Little Italy. It also snagged an Apple Store. (PHOTO: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC)
Gwinnett Place Mall -- A premiere mall in its heyday, Gwinnett Place may become a mixed-use shopping center with housing, office and retail, according to some recent plans. Gwinnett leaders also have talked about reviving the area with a new zoning district that would allow buildings as tall as 25 stories. (PHOTO: VINO WONG / AJC FILE)
Lenox Square — Arguably the Southeast's leading destination mall, Lenox has gone through a series of updates in the last five years to keep it that way. The mall has added new restaurants and stores and remade its front entrance. (PHOTO: AJC FILE)
North DeKalb Mall — Macy's announced in January it was closing its doors at this DeKalb mall, the last of the traditional department stores at this struggling mall. Operators have suggested tearing it down and replacing it with a mixed-use development, though no official plan has been released. (PHOTO: KENT D. JOHNSON / AJC)
Northlake Mall — Kohl's is leaving Northlake later this year, but the company has a new owner, Texas-based ATR Corinth Partners, which has experience bringing new merchants, restaurants and other uses to under-performing and aging malls. (PHOTO: VINO WONG / AJC FILE)
Perimeter Mall — Like Cumberland, Perimeter Mall has greatly benefitted from strong sit-down restaurant business from Cheesecake Factory and Maggiano's Little Italy. The mall recently landed The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar to replace the Here to Serve's popular Goldfish restaurant. (PHOTO: BOB ANDRES / AJC)
Phipps Plaza — One of Atlanta's toniest shopping destinations, Phipps has undergone a facade facelift to keep from looking dated. It also has diversified its offerings by adding Legoland Discovery Center Atlanta and updating its movie theater. (PHOTO: SPECIAL TO AJC)
Southlake Mall — The mall has found a way to fill its old JCPenney store — with a call center. The 2014 move brought more than 1,000 jobs to Clayton County. (PHOTO: VINTAGE REAL ESTATE)
The Mall of Georgia — The Gwinnett megamall, like Lenox, is a destination and continues to spawn surrounding development. Most recently, a mixed-use project with commercial space, a hotel and hundreds of residential units is under consideration. (PHOTO: TYLER ESTEP / AJC)
Union Station Mall (formerly Shannon Southpark Mall) — The mall was demolished in 2014 to make way for a movie studio and and a 1.1 million-square-foot distribution center. (PHOTO: AJC FILE)
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