Mall Makeovers Have a Mixed-Use Flavor

Alpharetta, Georgia has a bold plan for remaking one of its malls for the future in an era of change for large retail centers.

"Council members approved rezoning 83 acres and allowing a 24,000-square-foot freestanding development with apartments and retail on the site of what used to be the Sears," reports Ben Brasch.

The need to revamp the mall follows changing consumer tastes having an effect in the Atlanta metropolitan area described by a source in the article as a "plague."

Brasch provides more details about the mixed-use scope of the new redevelopment project.

The housing at North Point will have 175 one-bedroom apartments between 700 and 900 square feet starting at $1,400 a month and 125 two-bedroom units ranging from 1,050 to 1,250 square feet for a monthly cost of $1,900.

Developers are also changing the inside of the mall by expanding the playground from the current play area just under 2,000 square feet to 7,000 square feet with separate, age-appropriate play spaces.

There will be outdoor green space open to the public and an eye-popping amount of amenities.

According to Brasch, the nearby Phipps Plaza is both a competitor and a model for the North Point Mall improvements. Legoland and a Nobu hotel and restaurant have headlined the additions at Phipps Plaza. Apple and Pottery Barn also moved to Phipps Plaza from North Point.