Gallery at South DeKalb facts for kids
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Entrance to South DeKalb Mall, July 2012
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| Location | Decatur, Georgia, United States |
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| Coordinates | 33°42′31″N 84°16′27″W / 33.70861°N 84.27417°W |
| Opening date | 1968 |
| Management | Thor Equities |
| Owner | Thor Equities |
| No. of stores and services | 100+ |
| No. of anchor tenants | 3 (0 open, 3 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 800,000 sq ft (74,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1, former Macy’s had 3 floors! Former JCPenney’s had 2 floors |
The Gallery at South DeKalb, formerly South DeKalb Mall, is a shopping mall owned by Thor Equities. It is located at the intersection of Candler Road and Interstate 20 in the Panthersville CDP of DeKalb County, Georgia.
History
The mall opened in 1968 with anchors Rich's and JCPenney. There were the other traditional mall stores of the time. This mall faced competition from the beginning with several other malls in DeKalb County, mainly Northlake Mall. The Rich's also had an automotive center similar to most Sears of the time. During the early 1970s, the mall sported signage and a logo with the words South DeKalb Mall rendered in bas-relief SFIntellivised font, similar to the lettering used in the opening credits of the then-famous Mary Tyler Moore television series, only in the mall's version, accompanied by a bas-relief asterisk placed tightly among the letters of the mall's name. As of 2014, the mall's signage still pays homage to the original font. The modern signage is lighted. The former was dark brown and made of metal, and was not.
Departures and arrivals
JCPenney left the mall in 2001 as it relocated to Stonecrest. The space left behind by the anchor has been occupied by a furniture store called Amazing Rooms. The Chick-Fil-A closed at the end of January 2012.
Today
South DeKalb Mall became known recently as "The Gallery at South DeKalb" partly reflecting its new owners ideas to change the image of the mall. Currently its anchors are Macy's (formerly Rich's), Amazing Rooms, and American Screen Works has built a 14-screen movie theater with stadium seating and an entertaining jazz lounge. The Mall is also home to a Piccadilly Cafeteria and a small office center behind the mall.
The competition is still fierce for The Gallery at South DeKalb with the recent addition in 2001 of the long-awaited Mall at Stonecrest eight miles southeast in nearby Lithonia.
On January 7, 2020, it was announced that Macy's would be closing in March 2020 as part of a plan to close 125 stores nationwide which will leave the mall with no anchor stores left.
Macy's closed their doors on March 17, 2020.
