Publix emerges as grocery anchor at North DeKalb Mall’s next chapter

For decades, it was pleasurable to shop at metro Atlanta’s first enclosed and air-conditioned mall.

But North DeKalb Mall’s vibrancy withered with time, leading to most of the shopping center being demolished last summer to clear the way for a new beginning. That next chapter will center around a grocery store that prides itself on making shopping a pleasure.

A DeKalb County authority confirmed Tuesday that Publix Super Markets will be the anchor tenant at Lulah Hills, the $850 million mixed-use redevelopment of North DeKalb Mall off North Druid Hills Road near Lawrenceville Highway. The Florida-based grocer is the first new tenant announced for the project, which ranks among metro Atlanta’s largest mall redevelopments to meet the changing tastes of shoppers.

The new store will be 50,000 square feet, allowing for a drive-thru pharmacy, and is expected to open in the first quarter of 2027, a Publix spokesperson said.

Herbert Ames, managing director of project developer Edens, made the Publix announcement in a Q&A with Decide DeKalb, the area’s development authority that approved a $70 million property tax break to support Lulah Hills.

Edens expects to begin vertical construction later this year.

The project is also zoned for up to 1,800 residential units, more than 300,000 square feet of commercial space and a hotel. The mall’s last remnants spared from demolition — an AMC theater and a Marshall’s — are included in the new development.

Ames called the Publix announcement “a major milestone for the development.”

“This grocery experience will complement our existing entertainment anchor with AMC bringing significant entertainment, and Marshall’s, which will remain,” Ames told Decide DeKalb. “Food and beverage will be a big component at all levels — from an ice cream shop to a nice date-night experience, and everything in between from breakfast spots to quick-serve to table service.”