Malls · Georgia
Avondale Mall
Opened 1964. Closed 2001. Redeveloped in 2008. Owner of record Wal Mart Real Estate Business.
documented
Demolition of the mall began in February 2007. The last two walls of the old Sears came down on March 21, 2007.
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.
Site profile10 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
Sears
This site: Sears wikipedia · all sites with thisOn Facebook
This site: …https://www.facebook.com/120173904694834 overture · all sites with thisWebsite alive
This site: …http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avondale_Mall overture / http check · all sites with this15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)
This site: 5/6 openstreetmap · all sites with this3+ other atlas sites within 10 km
This site: 3 within 10 km computed · all sites with thisGrocery within 800 m
This site: 4 stores openstreetmap · all sites with thisRedeveloped
This site: Walmart Supercenter, condominiums, and commercial outlets extraction · all sites with thisGrocery
This site: Walmart Supercenter, condominiums, and commercial outlets The former mall was r extraction · all sites with thisHousing
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisRetail (continued)
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Demolishedextracted, unreviewed documentedDemolition of the mall began in February 2007. The last two walls of the old Sears came down on March 21, 2007. |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Redevelopedextracted, unreviewed documentedThe former mall was replaced with a Walmart Supercenter, as well as space for condominiums and commercial outlets. |
| New uses | housing, retailextracted, unreviewed reported |
| What is there now | Walmart Supercenter, condominiums, and commercial outletsextracted, unreviewed documentedThe former mall was replaced with a Walmart Supercenter, as well as space for condominiums and commercial outlets. |
| Retrofit year | 2008extracted, unreviewed reported |
| Owner of record | Wal Mart Real Estate Businesscounty assessor reported |
Planning
| Planning notes | The former mall was replaced with a Walmart Supercenter, as well as space for condominiums and commercial outlets.extracted, unreviewed reported |
|---|
Parcels, tax and title
| Parcel | Owner of record | Acres | Use · zoning | Value (appraised · assessed · taxable) | Last sale · deed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15 217 04 019all 37 county fields
| Wal Mart Real Estate Business | 19.2 | TC · MU-4 | $23.2M (appraised) assessed $9.3M | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 19.2 | $23.2M |
Site context
| FEMA flood zone | X · AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL |
|---|---|
| EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m | 11: BANKOZK - MEMORIAL DR; BUDDY OAKES & SONS; CALIBER CAR WASH - DECATUR; FIRESTONE STORE NO 07E6; KROGER 303-11EPA FRS |
| Census tract 13089023102 | 2,967 people, 3,065 per sq mi; median household income $65,183; median gross rent $1,024; 44% renters; 19.4% vacant units; 11.5% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year |
| Walkability (EPA, block group) | index 11.7 of 20; 58 intersections per sq mi; nearest transit stop 1,030 m; land-use mix 0.59; 174,282 jobs within 45 min by car, 32,522 by transit; 22% of households without a carEPA Smart Location |
| Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m) | 5 of 6 daily needs: 4 grocers, 1 schools, 19 parks or playgrounds, 0 health, 2 civic, 11 food and drink; 0 cycleway segments, 92 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap |
| Opportunity Zone | noHUD |
| Housing permits, DeKalb County (GA), 2024 | 385 units in 5+ unit buildings, 0 in 2–4, 853 single-family; 2023: 1,563 in 5+Census BPS |
| Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract) | overall percentile 0.67; socioeconomic 0.60; housing and transport 0.61; 26% below 150% of poverty; 26% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR |
| Other atlas sites nearby | 3 within 10 km, 57 within 25 km: Belvedere Plaza (0.2 km); East Lake Meadows (3.2 km); North DeKalb Mall (5.8 km)computed |
| Overture Maps | place Avondale Mall (shopping_mall, confidence 0.78, from Overture, Overture-signals, meta); building footprint 17,231 m², 8.183513641357422 mOverture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0) |
| Website and social | en.wikipedia.org (alive); archived 2003–2025 (Wayback) · social: facebookOverture / Internet Archive |
| Attention: Wikipedia page views | 36,518 since 2015; 2,897 in the last 12 months (-12% vs the prior 12); peak 2023-05 with 609Wikimedia |
| Tract change 2013–2023 | population -10% (3,314 → 2,967); median income +59% ($41,028 → $65,183); renters 52% → 44%; median home value +108% ($222,700 → $462,800)Census ACS 5-year |
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract) | relatively low overall (score 24.9); expected annual loss $595,030; community resilience relatively lowFEMA NRI |
| Tax-credit housing within 1 km | 1 LIHTC properties, 80 units: Forrest Heights Apts Nsp3 (80 units)HUD LIHTC |
| Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW) | 32,172 jobs in 2,296 establishments; average annual pay $47,643; employment location quotient 1.04; employment -4.5% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private |
| Jobs located in the tract, 2022 | 889 jobs; 364 in retail trade, 218 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 13089023102)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022 |
| Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract) | children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 31th income percentile as adults; 3.1% incarcerated at the 2010 count (653 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights |
| Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract) | low-income, low-access tract (1 mile urban / 10 miles rural); 22% of residents more than 1 mile from a supermarket; poverty rate 13.3%; median family income $57,222; 444 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS |
| Schools | DeKalb County School District (PK-12); 3 public schools within 1 mile: Wadsworth Magnet School for High Achievers; DeKalb School of the Arts; Museum School Avondale EstatesNCES EDGE |
| Elevation | 1,011 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP |
| Storm events in the county, 2016-2025 | 157 county-logged events: 124 thunderstorm wind, 13 hail, 10 flash flood, 4 tornado; $5,131,000 property damage reported; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events |
| Homes for sale in ZIP 30032, 2026-09 | median list price $300,000 (+8.9% on the year); 326 active listings; median 58 days on market; 28% with a price cutRealtor.com Research |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 2,187 establishments (-1%); 32,286 jobs (+6%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $332,528 (-2% 1 yr, +9% 5 yr); typical rent $1,764/mo (+2% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| House price index, tract, 2025 | 541 (2000 = 100); +1.2% 1 yr, +45% 5 yr, +84% 10 yrFHFA |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 29,300 vehicles a day on Memorial Dr SW; (minor arterial, 6 lanes); 40 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Avondale Mall opened in 1964 as an enclosed mall in DeKalb County, Georgia. After losing anchor stores Davison's (1984) and Sears (1995), the mall closed in 2001 and was demolished in 2007. A Walmart Supercenter opened on the site in 2008, accompanied by condominiums and commercial outlets.
Why. The record shows anchor store departures (Davison's in 1984 and Sears in 1995) as visible causes of decline, leading to closure and demolition; no explicit mention of debt, broader competition, or other financial stresses.
Where it stands. The site is now occupied by a Walmart Supercenter, condominiums, and commercial outlets, with the parcel owned by Walmart Real Estate Business.
For a planner
- Zoning is MU-4 (mixed-use) with land use TC (town center) on a 19.23‑acre parcel.
- The retrofit already built includes housing and retail, demonstrating a completed mixed‑use redevelopment.
- Open questions include long‑term viability of the current mix and potential for further intensification or adaptive reuse.
For a developer
- Site size: 19.23 acres under single ownership (Walmart Real Estate Business).
- Entitlement stage: retrofit completed in 2008 (Walmart Supercenter + housing/retail).
- Market signal: median rent $1,591 cited in the record, indicating residential demand.
- Context‑layer constraints (flood, transit, environment) are not detailed in the record.
What we do not know yet
- Exact number of condominium units and commercial square footage is not specified.
- Year_to for the 1983‑19?? owner (Cadillac Fairview and Scott Hudgens Co.) is null, leaving ownership timeline unclear.
- Environmental constraints such as flood risk, transit access, or contamination are not mentioned.
- Debt levels or financial pressures that contributed to anchor losses are not recorded.
- Verification status is 'draft', indicating the record may still be under review.
Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- North DeKalb Mall, Decatur, GA · Malls · opened 1965; same strategy: redevelop; also in GA
- Phipps Plaza, Atlanta, GA · Malls · opened 1969; same strategy: redevelop; also in GA
- East Lake Meadows, Atlanta, GA · Garden apartments · opened 1971; same strategy: redevelop; also in GA
- Capital Plaza Mall, Landover Hills, MD · Malls · opened 1963; closed 2005; same strategy: redevelop
Elsewhere on the web
Retail history: Columbia Mall / Avondale Mall on DeadMalls.com photos, field notes and visitor memories since 2000; matched by name and city; nothing copied here
Pages with photos
- Sky City: Retail History: Columbia/Avondale Mall: Decatur, GA skycity2.blogspot.com
- MALL HALL OF FAME mall-hall-of-fame.blogspot.com
- Avondale Mall, Decatur, GA: The Forgotten Shopping Lan… bestattractions.org
- Gallery: Avondale Mall > Infiltrated. > CIMG2125 (Large)… uer.ca
- Abandoned Locations: Avondale Mall/Columbia Mall - YouTube youtube.com
- Avondale Mall - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia alchetron.com
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- retrofit already built
- closed or demolished site (sourced)
- median rent $1,591
- housing in the record
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Opened | 1964Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Closed | 2001extracted, unreviewed |
| Original developer | Macy'sextracted, unreviewed |
| Anchors | Sears, Davison's |
| County | DeKalb County |
| Census division | 5 · South Atlantic |
| Notes | Wikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States |
Not yet recorded: acres, GLA. Know it? Tell us.
Background
Avondale Mall, originally Columbia Mall, was an enclosed mall in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States, with a Decatur mailing address. The mall's original name came from its location at the intersection of Columbia and Memorial Drives near Avondale Estates. It opened in 1964, closed in 2001, and was demolished in 2007. A Walmart Supercenter opened on the site in 2008.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Timeline
- 1964 Opened (Wikidata)
- 1964 Opened
- 1983 Purchased by Cadillac Fairview and Scott Hudgens Co.
- 1984 Davison's anchor store left
- 1995 Sears anchor store left
- 2001 Mall closed
- 2007 Demolition began
- 2008 Walmart Supercenter opened
What could be built herezoning code as encoded 2026-10-20 · indicative
| By right | Bonus density | Upzone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| District(s) | MU-4 19.23 ac (density 24 du/ac) | MU-4 19.23 ac (density 40 du/ac) | MU-5 19.23 ac (density 40 du/ac) |
| Storeys / height | 4 / 60 ft | 6 / 75 ft | 6 / 75 ft |
| Envelope (height × coverage), sq ft | 3,015,571 | 4,523,357 | 4,523,357 |
| Program within density cap, sq ft | 518,625 | 865,125 | 865,125 |
| Homes at 900 sq ft | 461 | 769 | 769 |
| Non-residential, sq ft | 103,725 | 173,025 | 173,025 |
| Parking spaces (code minimum) | 899 | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Surface acres those spaces need | 7.2 | 12.1 | 12.1 |
| Proxy NOI / year | $5.4M | $9.0M | $9.0M |
| Proxy NOI on county appraised value | 23% | 39% | 39% |
| County appraised value per home | $50k | $30k | $30k |
Parcel by parcel, what moves the number, assumptions
| Parcel | Address | Owner of record | Acres | Zoning | Character area | County appraised | Homes by right | Homes bonus | Homes upzone | What binds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15 217 04 019 also counted on Belvedere Plaza | 3580 Memorial Drive Decatur, GA 30032 | Wal Mart Real Estate Business | 19.23 | MU-4 | Town Center | $23.2M | 461 | 769 | 769 | density 24 du/ac |
Owner of record and appraised value from the county assessor as retrieved; natural persons are withheld. Appraised value is the assessor's figure, not a price or an opinion of value.
- MU-4 bonus density. Bonus density path, same district: Table 2.22 raises Town Center / Regional Center density from 24 to 40 du/ac (Sec. 27-2.22.1); Table 2.11 'Density 24 to 40' row, building with accessory non-residential, 6 stories or 75 ft. Bonus density is conditional on the district's bonus provisions (Sec. 27-2.22.1); the conditions are not modelled.
- MU-5 density. Table 2.23: Town Center base 40, bonus 60; Regional Center base 40, bonus 120
- Parking. Code minimums are shown (DeKalb Table 6.2: 1.5 spaces per home, 1 per 500 sq ft retail). A shared-parking reduction (Table 6.3) and structured parking both shrink the surface acres; neither is modelled.
- Shared parcel. One or more parcels here sit within 40 m of another Atlas record (Belvedere Plaza) and are counted on both pages; the parcel loader, not this page, decides which record owns them.
Covers 19.2 of unknown site acres: the 1 assessor parcels within 40 m of the pin that carry a zoning code. parcel outlines from the county parcel layer. Parcel outlines: DeKalb County Property Appraisal Parcels_IASWorld FeatureServer/0. Homes at 900 sq ft average; 350 sq ft per surface space; proxy NOI = homes × rent × 12 × 92% occupancy × (1 − 40% opex), rent = Zillow ZORI, county 13089, 2026-09 (housing_market layer, retrieved 2026-10-20); commercial income not estimated. Bonus density = the same district at its bonus density and the matching height row. Upzone = the county's next mixed-use district as listed in the rule table (MU-4 → MU-5; C-1/C-2 → MU-4), not a proposal. bonus density is conditional on the district's bonus provisions; conditions not modelled; coverage not set for multi-family; 1 − 10% open space used; surface parking does not fit beside the footprint; structured or shared parking implied. Code sections: MU-4: Sec. 27-2.22.1 and Table 2.22 (density, height reference), Sec. 27-2.18.3 Table 2.17 (dimensions, open space, mix of uses, setbacks), Sec. 27-2.15.6 Table 2.11 (height by density), Sec. 27-6.1.4 Table 6.2 (parking); MU-5: Sec. 27-2.23.1 and Table 2.23, Sec. 27-2.18.3 Table 2.17, Sec. 27-2.16.6 Table 2.13, Sec. 27-6.1.4 Table 6.2. Sources: MU-4 · MU-5. JSON.
Request the full scheme site plan options, phasing, parking and yield by scenario, with the code citations: early access.
All covered sites →Sources
- Wikipedia: Avondale Mall · supports: after notes, original developer, status, strategy, year closed
12 quoted sentences
closed in 2001
Macy's developed the mall
The former mall was replaced with a Walmart Supercenter, as well as space for condominiums and commercial outlets.
Demolition of the mall began in February 2007. The last two walls of the old Sears came down on March 21, 2007.
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