Longtime south Atlanta flea market set for massive mixed-use makeover
For decades, a south Atlanta flea market has helped thousands — probably millions — of knickknacks and hand-me-downs find new owners at cheap prices.
Now, the building itself is the focus of a secondhand sale to a developer looking to reuse the site for a new age.
New York-based Mural Real Estate Partners received support Wednesday from Atlanta’s economic development authority to acquire about 26 acres near Greenbriar Mall, including the longtime Discount Mall at 2975 Headland Drive SW. The developer is planning one of the largest projects in Atlanta’s Southside, a more than $500 million project centered on 1,000-plus apartments and 250,000 square feet of retail space.
Invest Atlanta approved a $5 million loan to help the developer purchase the site. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said he’s excited for the property’s reinvention, even if he has fond childhood memories of Discount Mall.
“I used to like it as a kid because I could get cheap stuff in there for $5 or $10 — that could be good or bad,” he said with a laugh. “But this is the type of development that the community is desiring.”
The development first entered the public eye in December under the name “Project Nexus.”
The Development Authority of Fulton County gave preliminary approval to a $23 million tax break to support the project. At the time, most of its details were shrouded behind a nondisclosure agreement. But The Atlanta Journal-Constitution identified the Discount Mall site as the only property that fit the project’s description.
