Transforming North DeKalb Mall into Lulah Hills: A Q&A with Herbert Ames of Edens
Transforming North DeKalb Mall into Lulah Hills: A Q&A with Herbert Ames of Edens
The Decide DeKalb Development Authority team sat down with Herbert Ames, Managing Director of Edens to discuss the transformation of the historic North DeKalb Mall into Lulah Hills, a pioneering mixed-use development that promises to revitalize one of DeKalb County’s most iconic locations.
Q: How will Lulah Hills honor North DeKalb Mall’s rich history?
Herbert Ames: It goes back to this notion of a pioneering location. When it was initially envisioned in the early 60s, this was a place for commerce, community, and entertainment. It was at the forefront before Lenox Square was built—a pioneering place, the first fully enclosed, air-conditioned mall.
Rich’s Department Store made a very distinct decision to reach this part of Atlanta. We have the opportunity now to return it to that place of community, commerce, and entertainment, but with the ability to bring in residential and potentially office as well as hotel eventually. We’re actually keeping part of the old mall—the AMC and Marshalls are portions of the existing mall that will be operating throughout the renovation and redevelopment.
Q: How did you approach understanding the character of the surrounding community during planning?
Herbert Ames: We really got to know this neighborhood over the years at Toco Hills, so we already had some understanding from our redevelopment work there. Then, when North DeKalb Mall came on the market, we saw something bigger and more meaningful could be done here.
One of the first meetings we had, we took the site plan that had previously been proposed by a previous landlord, laid it on the table and just said, “What do you guys like or not like about this plan?” We got very real feedback.
There was a core group of 25 or 30 people that had been involved in this effort for years. They knew what they didn’t want, but they also knew what they wanted—a real place that was walkable, designed for connection, designed to spend time. It wasn’t about the transaction; it was about the deeper connection there.
Q: What are the key elements that make Lulah Hills a mixed-use destination?
Herbert Ames: Our zoning allows for up to 1,800 residential units, which is a key component of having folks there and also making it sustainable. We’re partnering with Crescent Communities and Empire Communities to put 400 townhomes and multifamily units, in the initial phase, into a part of the county that needs it desperately, and we’re doing it on a site where nobody is currently living, which is huge.
But it’s really about creating a place that interacts on different levels throughout the course of your week—whether you’re coming for grocery shopping, stepping in for a movie, or taking your kids to the green space while you have a cup of coffee.
We’re designing for all those different experiences in a way that connects with the style and sensibility of the immediate area. There’s a funkiness, a cool vibe that permeates this part of DeKalb, and that comes from the rich diversity widespread throughout this community.
Q: What sustainable design principles are you incorporating into the project?
Herbert Ames: This is inherently sustainable due to being a redevelopment and a mixed-use development. We are redeveloping an infill site that has infrastructure already adjacent to the site. Based on the different uses proposed on the site, we actually decrease vehicle miles traveled by 35% versus building stand alone retail and residential developments.
We are also decreasing the amount of impervious area on the property and improving stormwater quality by treating it before it’s discharged thereby removing a significant amount of pollutants. The revitalization of the adjacent parkland and integration of trails will allow for both recreational activities and allow people from adjacent communities to bike or walk to Lulah Hills and residents of Lulah Hills to bike to work in surrounding areas like Emory.
Other sustainable elements include construction debris recycling, EV charging stations, energy-efficient heating and cooling with modern technology, and ultimately, revitalizing a dead mall into a vibrant mixed-use community, which is really as sustainable as it gets.
Q: How do you anticipate Lulah Hills contributing to the economic growth of the area?
Herbert Ames: With a robust and intentional merchandising mix, there will be significant retail and restaurant sales generated by this development. Plus, we’ll have residentsliving here, being part of DeKalb County, bringing their dollars not just to Lulah Hills but to surrounding areas.
Typically, what we’ve found with projects of this size and scale—The Battery Atlanta or our Mosaic District are great examples—is the halo effect that occurs. People then start doing things around it, and it becomes a multiplying effect throughout the immediate area. You’re already seeing some of that start to occur with additional investment layered throughout what we’ll call the Lulah Hills node. (Editor’s note: The Battery Atlanta is the development around the recently built Braves Stadium in Cobb County.)
You’re going to see tremendous investment in this part of the world—additional residential, additional commercial investment along the corridor that is ripe for repositioning and revitalization.
Q: With retail being the focus, what types of businesses and experiences are you targeting?
Herbert Ames: We’re thrilled to announce that Publix will be joining Lulah Hills as our anchor grocery store, which is a major milestone for the development. This grocery experience will complement our existing entertainment anchor with AMC bringing significant entertainment, and Marshall’s which will remain. Food and beverage will be a big component at all levels—from an ice cream shop to a nice date-night experience, and everything in between from breakfast spots to quick-serve to table service.
We’re also focusing on the soft goods retail piece, bringing in the right brands and the right levels of regional and local retailers to balance that so it’s not all national. And then you’re going to have services that people just need—fitness and other day-to-day services.
We’re talking about a kids’ activity place too, so we create this multi-generational experience where everybody from a three-year-old to an 85-year-old can have an experience that’s fun, exciting, and rewarding. Stay tuned—there’s a lot of great activity going on with retailers recognizing there’s a real void in this part of Atlanta.
Q: What makes Lulah Hills unique compared to other mixed-use developments in the area?
Herbert Ames: They all have to have their own distinct identity, their own personality and story.
What’s going to be unique here is it’s going to have its own personality. Its architecture is going to be this kind of village feel that we were very intentional about. We’re creating this village experience with great artwork, great landscaping, and a great tapestry of all these things coming together.
That’s really what this part of the world is about—this international diversity that exists here. That’s special, and that’s what makes this thing very exciting. It’s not easy to create a place that captures that, but that’s what we’re trying to figure out every day.
Q: How important is the partnership with Decide DeKalb to this project?
Herbert Ames: There’s no question that without the leadership at the county level and with Decide DeKalb we would not be where we are today. The recognition and support this project received was momentous and was what this county needed at this time to accomplish some big moves.
We would not be here today if not for this partnership. These projects are inherently challenging and difficult, so having a partner on all sides is essential. This will be close to a billion-dollar project at the end of the day, and these things do not happen without a host of great partners.
DeKalb County and Decide DeKalb’s cooperation and collaboration, including tax increment financing to help see this project through in a challenging capital markets environment, has been crucial.
Q: Once it’s complete, what lasting impact do you hope Lulah Hills will have on the community?
Herbert Ames: One of the greatest things you can hope for is to see people adopt it and make it their own. At Toco Hills, (also in DeKalb County) we created a green space that began being used regularly by community groups—such as a rabbi utilizing the green space for a ceremonial menorah lighting—exactly as we had envisioned.
You want to create a place that becomes the community’s own, that they have a connection to. Seeing them interact, seeing them engage, seeing them just hang out is such a rewarding part of what we get to do.
When it becomes a place where you want to take friends visiting from out of town, when it becomes where the neighborhood wants to go, that’s powerful. That’s the impact we’re striving for with Lulah Hills.
The Lulah Hills project is currently underway with exciting retail announcements expected in the coming months.
Learn more about our initiatives and how you can get involved at Decide DeKalb Development Authority.