While demogorgons in the food court might be strange, the changes coming to Gwinnett Place Mall are bound to bring some fun to the community! The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners approved the Urban Redevelopment Agency of Gwinnett County’s purchase of the Macy’s sites at Gwinnett Place Mall, totaling 23 acres, for $16.5 million!
Gwinnett Place Mall is located in unincorporated Gwinnett County, just off the Interstate (I-85) exit at Pleasant Hill Road. When it was built in 1984, it was an immediate success. If you lived in the area during the 1980s to early 2000s, you probably remember when Gwinnett Mall was the place to be. Maybe you went to the movies on a date, stopped by for Christmas shopping, or worked at one of the stores.
In recent years, other malls drew in the attention and left the Gwinnett Place Mall as not much more than a movie set anchored by a few stores. Over time, the only ones standing were the. beauty store, MegaMart, and MAcy’s.
The location got a bit more time in the spotlight when featured as a main set and filming location for Stranger Things Season 3 — but has otherwise not gained much in terms of economic development or contribution to Gwinnett at large.
The Urban Redevelopment Agency of Gwinnett County will acquire 293,059 square feet of retail buildings on 23 acres of the Gwinnett Place Mall site, including the Macy’s department store and Macy’s furniture store, which will be leased back to Macy’s for store operations to continue through early 2025. In 2021, the Urban Redevelopment Agency of Gwinnett County initially purchased a 39-acre portion of the Gwinnett Place Mall site, and with this acquisition, will own 76 acres. The board also approved the issuance of bonds to fund the purchase through its Urban Redevelopment Agency.
The County has conducted two extensive public input studies — the Gwinnett Place Mall Equitable Redevelopment Plan and the Gwinnett Place Mall Revitalization Strategy — to identify and prioritize the community’s needs for the redevelopment of the mall site and surrounding area. Both. of these concept plans involve demolishing the current structure and building to rebuild from scratch (don’t worry MegaMart and Macy’s will remain).
The Equitable Redevelopment Plan was informed by eight months of community engagement with direct input from more than 2,000 Gwinnett residents. It identified five key areas for preservation and growth in the County:
- Housing
- Small businesses
- Cultural activity center
- Neighborhood services
- Jobs
The Gwinnett Place Mall Site Revitalization Strategy was a combined effort between Gwinnett County, the Gwinnett Place CID and the Atlanta Regional Commission. An in-depth market analysis and surveys of 6,000 community members led to a transformational concept called the Global Villages, which envisions housing, an international community cultural center, office space and retail oriented around a central park.
The redevelopment of the Gwinnett Place Mall site is also in alignment with and furthers the goals and priorities of the County’s 2045 Unified Plan, which in part aim to foster inclusive and equitable economic growth within Gwinnett.
“The acquisition of the Macy’s site marks a pivotal step forward in the redevelopment of Gwinnett Place Mall, setting the stage for Gwinnett County to establish a national – and possibly international – model for equitable and impactful transformation,” said Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson. “This redevelopment will be a catalyst for change, creating transformative opportunities that enhance property values, align with neighboring investments, and drive growth for a new generation of entrepreneurs, residents, and local businesses.”
In March 2024, Gwinnett County announced a partnership with CBRE to advance and refine plans for the redevelopment process. The international real estate services firm is working alongside the County to ensure the transformative project stays consistent with the County’s goals and vision.
“The County has done a masterful job thinking about the future of Gwinnett residents in its planning for the redevelopment,” says Lee Ann Korst, Senior Vice President with CBRE’s Public Institutions and Education Solutions practice. “They are forward thinking about using the underutilized site as a catalyst and to the benefit of the surrounding community and taxpayers.”
The $16.5 million purchase is expected to close in November. By attracting top developers and fostering public-private partnerships, the Gwinnett Place Mall project will continue a focus on redevelopment of urban sites into economic hubs in the community. The County anticipates opening its search for a development partner by the first quarter of 2025, with more details about the project’s timeline to come as the selected developer’s plans take shape.
SOURCE: Gwinnett County
