Southlake Mall (Atlanta) facts for kids
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| Location | Morrow, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Coordinates | 33°34′31″N 84°21′07″W / 33.57528°N 84.35194°W |
| Opening date | 1976 |
| Developer | The Rouse Company |
| Owner | CityView Commercial |
| No. of stores and services | 120 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 (1 open, 3 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 1,010,000 sq ft (94,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 2 |
| Parking | 5,500 |
Southlake Mall is a large shopping center located in Morrow, Georgia. It's part of the greater Atlanta metropolitan area, about 11 miles south of Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The mall serves people living in Clayton County, Georgia and nearby Henry County, Georgia. You can find it right next to Interstate 75 and Georgia State Route 54.
A Look Back: Southlake Mall's History
Southlake Mall first opened its doors in 1976. It was built to serve the many families moving to the south side of Atlanta. When the mall first opened, it had four main "anchor" stores. Anchor stores are big department stores that attract many shoppers. These original anchors were Rich's, Davison's, Sears, and JCPenney.
Changes to Anchor Stores
Over the years, some of the anchor stores changed their names or closed. In 1986, the Davison's store became a Macy's. Later, in 2003, this Macy's location closed. The Rich's store, which was also very popular, eventually became a Macy's in 2005.
In 2011, the JCPenney store announced it would close. This happened on June 1 of that year. Then, in 2018, Sears also announced it would close its store. This left Macy's as the only original anchor store still open at the mall.
Mall Renovations and Ownership
The mall had a big update in 1999. During this renovation, the food court was moved to the lower level. A fun carousel was also added for visitors to enjoy. The escalators were moved to different parts of the mall to make it easier to get around.
In 2013, the mall faced some financial trouble and went into foreclosure. This means the owners could not pay their loan, and the property was taken over. However, the anchor stores were not part of this foreclosure. The company that owned the mall at the time, General Growth Properties, decided to focus on other, stronger properties.
After some changes in who managed the mall's loan, it was sold to B Properties. This company works to improve shopping malls that are having a tough time. In January 2019, the mall was sold again. This time, it was bought by two real estate companies from New York, CityView Commercial LLC and Jacobs Real Estate Advisors.
