Do people in Augusta miss having their own Department Store, J. B. White's like people in Atlanta still miss our Rich's. (Savannah: luxury)

[Clayton white guy]

Many of us in Atlanta still miss our Rich's "The South's premier Department Store". Do y''all feel the same about the demise of J. B. White's in Augusta thanks to Dillard's in the late 1990's?

[Newsboy]

J.B. Whites opened their largest (and one of their only) regional locations (outside of Augusta-Aiken) at Savannah Mall in 1990. In 1998 the entire chain was sold to the parent company of Dillard's, and the Savannah Mall store has been a huge (HUGE!!!) Dillard's flagship store ever since. Rumor here in Savannah is that Dillard's owns either their Savannah Mall pad or the entire east wing outright, which explains why they've stayed put at Savannah Mall even as that center (1 million sf) has declined over the past 10 years. Rumors still persist that Dillard's will eventually abandon Savannah Mall for a long-planned "new urbanist village" retail, residential and professional "live work play" development (Pooler Town Center) now under construction at the intersection of I-16 and Pooler Parkway (across from Savannah Quarters).

Savannah Mall -- bless its heart -- was a luxury mall WAY ahead of its time. Had it been built further out of town and at a location at I-95 and Ga 204 (Abercorn Expressway) it would no doubt be a healthy and vibrant retail center today. Sadly, its proximity to Oglethorpe Mall just up the street and lack of high-profile interstate access doomed it from nearly the beginning.

http://savannahnow.com/news/2017-08-...-center-pooler

[Clayton white guy]

Mercantile Stores (Old parent company of such vulnerable retail names such as J. B. White's, Gayfer's, Maison Blanche, McApplin's, Castor Knott's, Bacon's, etc bought out and renamed by Dillard's in the late 1990's) usually DID usually build and own their buildings at regional malls through out their Southern and Midwestern trade areas. That would stand to reason that Dillard's, as well, would own not only the J. B. White's at Savannah Mall, but the beautiful and nearly new (at the time of the takeover) J. B. White's former flagship store at Augusta Mall as well. Not sure of "partial mall ownership", though. Rich's was a part owner in many early suburban malls around Atlanta, I believe. The Belk and Ivey families also famously built South Park as a joint venture in Charlotte as well.

[GRU_Minion]

Dillard's in Aiken worked the same way. They own their two storefronts in that mall outright.