Which Atlanta Mall(s) should be shut down? (neighborhoods, live)

[City Fanatic]

Which Atlanta area mall(s) should be shut down? It could be for any number or reasons. Let's hear your choices and why you chose them.

[JPD]

I voted none. Why should any of them close? What would be the benefit of hundreds of thousands (or millions) of square feet of empty retail space and acre after acre of unused parking lots?

[davesm]

If a mall is financially viable (good occupancy rate) and serves a community there is no reason for it to be shut down. The only mall I can think of that didn't make it was Avondale Mall, but after it sat empty for a while it was then retooled into a Walmart.

[cbreeze22]

I voted none also. The last thing we need now is more bored, broke teenagers and out of work retail employees.

[dens]

I agree with most of you...why close any of them...all that leaves is a vacant area for potential illegal activities...

[terrence81]

Yeah a better question might be which mall do you not like? Maybe which mall needs the most improvement? But yeah nobody wants a mall to be shut down because that means a lot of teenagers and poor struggling people would be without a job. Kids should work because it gives them something to do and older adults in retail need every penny they can get.

[grindin]

Atlanta as a region has had very little mall failure, and from what I've seen, I haven't seen the phenomenon of "Dead Malls" around here quite as much as I have in other regions of the country.

I think if a site could be revitalized (ie, Avondale mall, even if it is a Walmart, LOL) rather than outright tear it down, that would be a better solution. North DeKalb and Northlake could stand to be redone. Even Southlake.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by grindin

Atlanta as a region has had very little mall failure, and from what I've seen, I haven't seen the phenomenon of "Dead Malls" around here quite as much as I have in other regions of the country.

I think if a site could be revitalized (ie, Avondale mall, even if it is a Walmart, LOL) rather than outright tear it down, that would be a better solution. North DeKalb and Northlake could stand to be redone. Even Southlake.

Revitalization would be a good thing for several malls in Atlanta, maybe even for MOST malls in Atlanta.

I'd like to see Northlake revitalized since I live near it and it doesn't really suit my wants or needs, but I absolutely would not want it to close, as it would be horrible for the surrounding area to have a dead mall.

In Avondale Mall's case, it sat empty for a decade before the Wal Mart was built, and the Wal Mart was fought almost to the death by the surrounding neighborhoods. When the mall closed, it was not because developers wanted to get their hands on it. It closed because nobody wanted to have anything to do with it.

[atlantagreg30127]

The malls will survive, although some of them need new management to deal with teen problems. Atlanta is a major "mall city" and I don't see that changing anytime soon, even during the current times. Enclosed malls, strip malls, "outdoor open air malls" - whatever you want to call them, Atlanta is "that kind of city".

[Tristan840]

I would say Northlake Mall really needs to be remodeled, it is so outdated!