First apartments join Lulah Hills, the $850M redo of North DeKalb Mall
The site once home to Atlanta’s first enclosed and air-conditioned mall is about to enter a new era by housing hundreds of people — and not just during shopping hours.
Apartment developer Crescent Communities announced this week it will kickstart the first residential phase of Lulah Hills, the $850 million mixed-use redo of the now-demolished North DeKalb Mall. A six-story building called Novel Lulah Hills will feature 303 apartments, anchoring the 78-acre project that is projected to eventually include up to 1,800 residential units.
Lulah Hills, a project helmed by developer Edens, is one of metro Atlanta’s largest examples of a traditional shopping mall being redeveloped into a live-work-play district.
“There’s a real sense of momentum and excitement building around the Lulah Hills development,” Eric Liebendorfer, managing director for Georgia at Crescent Communities, said in a news release. “And Novel Lulah Hills will be at the heart of that energy.”
Built in 1965, North DeKalb Mall slowly decayed from a pioneering shopping center to a mostly abandoned husk. Edens purchased the mall in 2021 and spent much of this summer tearing it down to make way for its mixed-use vision.
Novel Lulah Hills is the first vertical construction to take place on the site, which is near North Druid Hills Road and Lawrenceville Highway. Its units will range from studios to three-bedroom apartments, and it’ll include 39,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.
Crescent Communities said the building is “inspired by the character of an urban marketplace” and will open in late 2027.
In addition to several residential buildings, Lulah Hills is zoned to eventually include more than 300,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, including a new Publix grocery store. A hotel and the mall’s last remnants spared from demolition — an AMC theater and a Marshalls — are also included in the new development alongside green spaces.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to shape a community that will redefine how people live, gather and connect in this part of the city,” Liebendorfer said.
Lulah Hills received a $70 million property tax break from DeKalb County’s development authority to support the project’s development. Japan-based real estate developer NTT Urban Development is a capital partner on Novel Lulah Hills, providing an undisclosed amount of financial assistance to Crescent Communities.
Green spaces and trails at Lulah Hills will connect with Peachtree Creek Trail and Medlock Park. It also leverages its proximity to Emory University, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the new Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Arthur M. Blank Hospital.
The entire Lulah Hills project is expected to be fully completed by 2033, according to Edens.
About the Author
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
