Gwinnett Place Mall could be headed for revitalization (Atlanta, Buford: cost, floors)

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

LOL! Saying that Metro Atlanta developers should not build malls is like saying that people should not breathe.

Unnecessary overbuilding is just simply what Metro Atlanta developers do, it's just their nature.

It wasn't just the opening of the Mall of Georgia that killed Gwinnett Place Mall, it was also the opening of Sugarloaf Mills Mall, The Forum on Peachtree and The Shoppes at Webb Gin that along with continuing demographic changes in the area that combined to kill Gwinnett Place Mall in an era when mall shopping in general is in decline.

25 years ago, Gwinnett Place Mall was the only major shopping mall in Gwinnett County. Now there are basically four more major shopping malls (or mall-like developments) in the county.

Not to mention there are now at least about 11 Walmart Supercenters in the county....Which are stores that did not really exist during the heyday of Gwinnett Place Mall back in the '80's and early '90's.

Heck, the Walmart Supercenter up the road on Pleasant Hill probably gets more business than Gwinnett Place Mall does these days.

I wouldn't say that Discover Mills killed Gwinnett Place, it offered a lot of unique stores that wouldn't be in Gwinnett Place or much of anywhere else. Mall of Georgia did however help GP's demise by being a general-purpose mall.

[billl]

Originally Posted by sedimenjerry

Gwinnett Place has been terrible for as long as I can remember. I think maybe back in the 90s it was ok.

Back in the 90s it was great. We used to go Christmas shopping there. But there was no way it could compete with Mall of Georgia.

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by demonta4

Is it really THAT bad? Would you compare it to Greenbriar and South Dekalb? Or Southlake which has a mix of locally owned and national stores? The area seems to be busy, so wouldn't that be because of Gwinnett Place? If not, where are all these people driving to?

There's still a ton of commercial activity near there and a lot of car dealerships along with offices. Pleasant Hill is also a major connection between Gwinnett and North Fulton. I think the the mall inspired a lot of commerce and retail activity back in the hey day. It's just now the mall is struggling. If you're driving around on Pleasant Hill or Satellite, it's very easy to forget there's a mall.

Originally Posted by billl

Back in the 90s it was great. We used to go Christmas shopping there. But there was no way it could compete with Mall of Georgia.

I should clarify my comment, I was born in 92 so "as long as I can remember" only goes back to just before the Mall of GA opened up. I vaguely remember going as a child (we also lived much closer back then), but essentially growing up it's just been a declining mall.

[Mossberg]

New plan released for Gwinnett Place redevelopment.

Plans and Studies for Gwinnett Place

ACTivate Gwinnett Place

http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/new...lanning-major/

The Multi-Modal Green Corridor effort “drills down” to identify specifically where new infrastructure within the core of the Gwinnett Place area might best create and connect green space and alternative pedestrian, bicycle and transit options. The final includes:

Bicycle and pedestrian path alignment and routes
Radical, functional intersection improvement that solves several technical and community issues
Open space alignments and relationship to potential new development and transit
Stormwater design related to green space and trail routes
Parking structures and re-purposing of existing surface parking

[sedimenjerry]

Is that a large roundabout? I'm not sure if Atlanta is ready for one of those. The smaller ones I've seen with low traffic and one lane work fine. Scaling up that big could be interesting.

[arjay57]

Sounds like reports of Gwinnett mall's demise are greatly exaggerated.

[flamadiddle]

sorry to be a realist, but you're kicking a dead horse.

[fldoeok]

Mall of GA had a hand in the mall's death, but the true cause is that shopping is now literally on every corner in metro Atlanta. When this now dead mall was built, people didn't have a third of the choices available to them.

[fourthwarden]

BRT huh? Guess we'll see. Still think a gold line extension would help a bit more, but BRT is a start, especially if it were then carried down Buford Highway! But all that would require a joining of MARTA. Too bad that wasn't an option suggested!

It is odd that there wasn't any represitatives from Gwinnett County Transit... unless they're included with Gwinnett DOT?

[fldoeok]

Originally Posted by sedimenjerry

There's still a ton of commercial activity near there and a lot of car dealerships along with offices. Pleasant Hill is also a major connection between Gwinnett and North Fulton. I think the the mall inspired a lot of commerce and retail activity back in the hey day. It's just now the mall is struggling. If you're driving around on Pleasant Hill or Satellite, it's very easy to forget there's a mall.




I should clarify my comment, I was born in 92 so "as long as I can remember" only goes back to just before the Mall of GA opened up. I vaguely remember going as a child (we also lived much closer back then), but essentially growing up it's just been a declining mall.

You are so correct. In fact, from jimmy carter blvd to Pleasant hill road, many of the neighborhoods and business areas went into decline as well. When I left ATL permanently I really didn't recognize the town very much, and couldn't believe how fast Gwinnett went from middle and upper middle to immigrant and lower middle class.

Looking back Atlanta is not a stable place. Good areas today can and will turn into bad areas tomorrow. Bad areas today can turn into good areas. As people, normal working people, you get no say into how the area develops.