Demolition day set for North DeKalb Mall, setting stage for mixed-use project Lulah Hills

North DeKalb Mall in Decatur. (Dean Hesse/Decaturish)

The date for the demolition of North DeKalb Mall has been set.

Demolition work will officially begin on Wednesday, June 26, according to an invite sent to Decaturish. North DeKalb Mall is being redeveloped as a mixed-use project called Lulah Hills.

“Saying goodbye is never easy,” the invite says. “North DeKalb Mall has been an integral part of this community for nearly 60 years. Now the time has come for a new chapter in this story.”



The last 10 years or so have been rocky for the mall as most retailers moved out and the property owners waited for a development offer with some community support. That finally came when real estate developer EDENS bought the mall in 2021.

DeKalb Commissioners and decision-makers have supported the project, with former commissioner Jeff Rader and Commissioner Steve Bradshaw earmarking $499,000 for a trail that will lengthen the South Peachtree Creek Trail from Medlock Park to the Lulah Hills project. Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division is currently seeking comment on that project. In November, the Decide DeKalb Development Authority board gave EDENS $70 million in tax reimbursements over a 15-year period to EDENS as an incentive for the company’s planned redevelopment of the 76-acre North DeKalb Mall location.

EDENS plans to create a mixed-use development with retail, a hotel, apartments, and townhomes. When the project is finished, nearly 2,000 new housing units will be built, most of which will be apartments. The project will set aside 10% of units for workforce housing and will include a retail incubator. The estimated completion date is 2028. The plan also shows nearly 50,000 square feet allocated for a grocery store but doesn’t name the store.

The first retail spaces should open in 2025, with the first mixed-use buildings in 2026. The AMC movie theater will remain at the mall as part of the redevelopment project.

Writer Sara Amis contributed reporting to this story. This story was provided by WABE content partner Decaturish.