Developers officially break ground this week on North DeKalb Mall’s transformation into a new mixed-use development, Lulah Hills.
EDENS, the national real estate group that purchased the mall in 2021, is holding a press conference 10 a.m. Wednesday to commemorate the first phase of redevelopment.
Although demolition is scheduled to begin Monday, an EDENS representative said Wednesday’s event serves as a “symbolic” launch. Full demolition will take place over the next six months.
Decades after its heyday as the first enclosed mall in metro Atlanta, 73-acre North DeKalb Mall closed its doors in 2020 following pandemic losses. The mostly vacant space currently provides parking for trucks and employees at nearby Emory University.
Dekalb County officials have granted EDENS $70 million in tax reimbursements for the reconstruction project over 15 years.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Coming in at a projected $843 million, the Lulah Hills site will include retail, office, residential and restaurant space with the goal of creating local jobs, according to domoREALTY. In the first phase, set to be completed by 2025, developers plan to construct shops and a parking deck, along with investing $86 million in infrastructure.
The first mixed-use spaces will open in 2026, with the eventual goal of building 1,700 multifamily units, 100 townhomes and a 150-room hotel. Ten percent of the homes will be affordable and workforce housing.
Lulah Hill’s outline mirrors similar mixed-use developments like Alpharetta’s Avalon and Halcyon sites. With a focus on green spaces, new trails will connect the shopping center to the South Peachtree Creek Trail located about two miles away and enable connection to Emory’s campus.
The Dekalb County Board of Commissioners rezoned the property in 2022 and created a tax allocation district directing increased property tax revenue back into the site rather than the entire county. The money can be put toward public infrastructure and amenities within the district’s borders.
The project is expected to be fully completed in 2033.
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