Mount Berry Mall

Mount Berry Mall, also known as Mount Berry Square, is a one-level enclosed shopping mall located in Rome, Georgia. It is the only enclosed mall in the city. 
== History ==
Plans for Mount Berry Square trace back to March 23, 1988, with construction and timber clearing starting in the summer of 1989.This joint venture development between Crown American and Homart Development Companyofficially opened on February 13, 1991, featuring anchor tenants JCPenney, Sears, Belk-Rhodes, and Hess's, all replacing existing stores in Rome. Restaurants at the food court also operated for the first time, most notably a Chick-Fil-A. The restaurant has since been renamed to Chick-Fil-A Dwarf Classics since 2013.
The mall's architectural design was executed by Crawford McWilliams Hatcher Architects, Inc. Crown American had intentions for a fifth anchor near the food court, initially planning for a Bloomingdale's. However, this proposal was abandoned, reportedly due to the city's rejection of the idea of a high-end Bloomingdale's.[citation needed]
JCPenney and Belk-Rhodes introduced new store designs with a heightened emphasis on fashion. The Hess's store closed in 1993, later replaced by Proffitt's. The current occupant of the space is Dunham's Sports, which opened in late 2013.
== 2003-2010: Later years and start of decline ==
On November 22, 2003, the merger between Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust and Crown American concluded, resulting in Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust acquiring all 26 shopping malls owned by Crown American, including Mount Berry Square. Before the merger, Crown American had identified this property as one of 6 "non-core" assets to be divested after the completion of the merger. In 2003, the mall's occupancy rate was 73.3%, lower than the average for Crown American properties at that time, which stood at 93.0%.
On September 29, 2004, Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust finalized the sale of Mount Berry Square, along with four other shopping malls designated as "non-core" properties by Crown American, to The Lightstone Group's Prime Retaildivision. In October 2005, it was announced that the Proffitt's store at the mall would transition to become a second Belk store, following Belk's acquisition of 47 Proffitt's and McRae's stores. Eventually, this Belk store closed and was succeeded by Dunham's Sports.
In June 2010, news broke that Mount Berry Square would undergo foreclosure on July 6, 2010, due to The Lightstone Group defaulting on loans totaling $73.9 million and another for $7 million. Three of the four properties purchased from Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust by The Lightstone Group, including Mount Berry Square, were implicated in the default. Jones Lang LaSalle managed the mall and the other foreclosed properties during this period as a receiver.Subsequently, on August 23, 2010, Urban Retail Properties assumed management responsibilities for Mount Berry Square and two additional properties from The Lightstone Group's portfolio.
== 2012-present: Later decline ==
In October 2012, Hull Property Group, based in Augusta, announced their acquisition of the mall. In January 2016, Sears revealed its plans to close, with the final store shutting its doors on March 26, 2016. The last remaining store in the Sears wing, Victoria's Secret, closed in 2020. That same year, Hull Property Group began renovations at the mall, including new flooring, lighting, upgraded public restrooms, and improvements to the HVAC system. Concurrently, they renamed the mall to Mount Berry Mall.
In June 2020, it was announced that JCPenney would cease operations around October 2020 as part of a nationwide plan to close 154 stores. After JCPenney's closure, Dunham's Sports and Belk remained as the sole anchor tenants, and Justice also closed around the same time. In 2021, Kay Jewelers closed and was replaced by Diamond World, while GAC closed due to staffing issues. Bath & Body Works and Eleven Gifts closed in 2022. In 2023, Gift World opened in the former GNC location. In January 2024, Journeys, a longtime mall tenant, closed, followed by Rue21, another longstanding tenant that had recently expanded, which closed in May 2024.
Category:Malls that opened in 1991
Category:Malls in Georgia
Category:Shopping Centers in Georgia
Category:Belk-anchored Malls
Category:Dunham's Sports-anchored Properties
Category:JCPenney-anchored Malls
Category:Shopping Centers
Category:Shopping Malls
Category:Single-Level Malls
Category:Enclosed Malls
Category:Crown American