Columbia/Avondale Mall, Decatur, GA

     Just because it's 1964, and just because it's a mall, it doesn't mean it's a good idea. And we think that the Columbia, or Avondale Mall in later years wasn't a good idea. Nothing's a good idea when it dies from multiple reasons. Once a mall built on cloudy planning, it declined into stereotypical dead mall status before becoming a Bentonville retailer I won't bother to mention. It's currently now a casualty of an overmalled Atlanta, and a firm proof that if you build it, they come...for a while. Then something else takes its place.

Here's a WABE (Atlanta's NPR branch) view of the mall shortly before demolition.

       The original configuration of Columbia Mall consisted of the *very* original dumbbell setup - without the mall itself. A Davison's store took the right side, and a Sears took the left. Only after the anchors opened would mall construction occur. The actual mall opened up fairly quickly. It was only one story, with 25 tenants and 350,000 square feet of retail space. It was the rare Atlanta enclosed mall in its heyday, so success was high originally. Of course Atlanta would be soon stuffed with enclosed centers (and eventually lifestyle centers later on, after 2001) in a wave from 1971 to 2001. These first malls didn't help the original mall.

Mall entrance photo from Pinterest.

     The first malls to fight Columbia were out of Columbia's league. North DeKalb, Northlake, and Perimeter malls came in the first six years of existence. If you could find it at Columbia, you could pretty much find it elsewhere, with many other new stores, same anchors, and bigger digs. Let's mention that the area wealth could go to Buckhead for Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth, and Lord and Taylor. And when I mean area wealth, I mean before the area turned on its head, and when new money reached Gwinnett. 

Openbuildings photo of the mall entrance, McCrory five-and-dime, and Davison's structure.

     As time proceeded, the area and its mall receded. Sears left the mall in 1984. This all meant that the mall was ready for a renovation and rejuvenation. In 1985, a groundbreaking was done on a renovation, including an in/exterior facelift and the conversion of the Sears store into a Sears Surplus, with a food court on the upper level. Also in the renovation was a McCrory store with an outside entrance. All was joined with the name change to Avondale Mall. It's unclear if this actually did much, with the five-and-dime falling out of favor, the area declining quicker before you could cough out "Gwinnett", and food courts being nothing new. Every other area mall had one included. 

     Davison's became Macy's in 1985. Sooner than later, the store became primarily clearance, before being permanently shuttered in 1992. The upper level turned into a 16-screen megaplex in 1994. The 1990's weren't kind at all to the mall. Mom & pop's grew like black mold in the main mallway. This all snowballed to a sale of the officially-dead mall in 1999. All interior stores closed in Dec. 2001.

Sky City photo of the deteriorating interior. 

     The mall would lay vacant for five years before demolition started. This process was interesting as demolitions go - a time capsule filled with newspapers and folders from the early Sixties was discovered, now in holding of the DeKalb History Center. During the demolition, a war was waged between area citizens and Wal-Mart. Eventually, the big-boxer came out victorious, and the lot was SuperCentered. What was once an exciting mall of the 60's was now a discount center. Gentrification can be weird. Obviously an eyesore wasn't helping much, but a Wal-Mart is basically catering to the lower-income type isn't improving the image. 

Photo from Bing Maps via Mall Hall of Fame.

     Maybe this post taught you a little about the rules of retail. Locating on a road not near an interstate in a soon to struggle area is no way for economy. Placing yourself in a tough to expand area is no way for economy. This all forms the way-too-common dead mall phenomena that wows everyone nowadays. The process is way too simple and reveals the lines of business. The traditional dead mall is all too true.