Gallery at South DeKalb

The Gallery at South DeKalb
Location Decatur, Georgia, USA
Coordinates 33°42′31″N 84°16′27″W / 33.70861°N 84.27417°WCoordinates: 33°42′31″N 84°16′27″W / 33.70861°N 84.27417°W
Opening date 1968
Management Thor Equities
Owner Thor Equities
No. of stores and services 100+
No. of anchor tenants 3
Total retail floor area 800,000 sq ft (74,000 m2).
No. of floors 2
Website southdekalbmall.com

The Gallery at South DeKalb, formerly South DeKalb Mall, is a shopping mall owned by Thor Equities. It is located at the intersection of Candler Road and Interstate 20 in the Panthersville CDP of DeKalb County, Georgia.

History

The mall opened in 1968 with anchors Rich's and JCPenney. There were the other traditional mall stores of the time. This mall faced competition from the beginning with several other malls in DeKalb County, mainly Northlake Mall.[1] The Rich's also had an automotive center similar to most Sears of the time. During the early 1970s, the mall sported signage and a logo with the words South DeKalb Mall rendered in bas-relief SFIntellivised font, similar to the lettering used in the opening credits of the then-famous Mary Tyler Moore television series, only in the mall's version, accompanied by a bas-relief asterisk placed tightly among the letters of the mall's name. As of 2014, the mall's signage still pays homage to the original font.[2] The modern signage is lighted. The former was dark brown and made of metal, and was not.

Departures and arrivals

JCPenney left the mall in 2001. The space left behind by the anchor has been occupied by a furniture store called Amazing Rooms.[3] The Chick-Fil-A closed at the end of January 2012.[1]

Today

South DeKalb Mall became known recently as "The Gallery at South DeKalb" partly reflecting its new owners ideas to change the image of the mall. Currently its anchors are Macy's (formerly Rich's), Amazing Rooms, and American Screen Works has built a 14-screen movie theater with stadium seating and an entertaining jazz lounge.[4] The Mall is also home to a Piccadilly Cafeteria and a small office center behind the mall.

The competition is still fierce for The Gallery at South DeKalb with the recent addition in 2001 of "The Mall at Stonecrest".

The Future

This mall does not seem to have a bright future. After 3 "Shut downs" followed by re-openings, there is a likely chance the next "Shut Down" will be permanent. Macy's has been struggling, but might remain in the event the mall closes. The center is 4 miles south of Decatur, thirty minutes shy of Lenox Square Mall and Phipps Plaza, as well as its southern competitor, Southlake Mall of Morrow, Georgia, and is seemingly not holding well against the newer competitors.

Former Anchors

Current Anchors

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Turknett, Jenny (January 24, 2012). "Chick-fil-A closes one of its oldest mall stores". Food and More (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  2. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AcUdTl7Aq-s/SSmu3Gn_Z6I/AAAAAAAAKcw/fBUSvFw8VzY/s1600-h/SouthDekalb1_ThorEquities.jpg
  3. Schenke, Jarred (December 17, 2001). "Burlington Coat heads to South DeKalb Mall". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved January 26, 2012.

External links