Mall of Georgia

The Mall of Georgia, located in Gwinnett County, Georgia, is the largest shopping mall in both the Atlanta Metropolitan Area and the state of Georgia. It opened in 1999 and houses more than 200 stores on three levels, including anchor stores such as Belk, Dillard's, JCPenney, Macy's, Von Maur, Regal Cinemas, Barnes & Noble, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Haverty's. The mall also features a large outdoor village section with lifestyle tenants and restaurants, as well as a 500-seat amphitheater. Owned by Simon Property Group, the mall area also boasts a portion of the Ivy Creek Greenway.
== History ==
The Mall of Georgia, built and owned by Simon Property Group, opened its doors on August 13, 1999, with four anchor stores: Dillard's, JCPenney, Lord & Taylor, and Nordstrom, accompanied by additional mini anchors including Bed Bath & Beyond, Haverty's, and Galyan's (now Dick's Sporting Goods). The mall has over 200 stores and boasts a 20-screen Regal Cinemas with an IMAX theater, one of several IMAX theaters in the state. Atlanta-based Rich's was added in 2000, and since then, the mall has undergone many expansions and renovations. The outdoor village section, featuring lifestyle tenants and restaurants, provides a unique outdoor shopping and dining experience, and a 500-seat amphitheater hosts various events throughout the year. Visitors can also enjoy a portion of the Ivy Creek Greenway, which runs along the shopping mall area.
In 2000, Circuit City opened a store outside of the Mall of Georgia. However, after the company closed all of its stores in 2009, the space was taken over by Ashley Furniture.
In 2003, Lord & Taylor closed its location at the Mall of Georgia citing an overly competitive regional marketplace. The space was subsequently replaced with a brand new Belk store in 2005. In the early 2000s, following Federated Department Stores' decision to consolidate nameplates, the Rich's store at the Mall of Georgia was dual-branded as Rich's-Macy's, and the Rich's name was eventually dropped entirely in 2005.
Nordstrom, which had been one of the mall's anchor stores, closed its location in 2015. However, it was replaced by the Midwestern luxury retailer Von Maur in 2016, which brought a fresh retail option to the mall.
== Statue ==
The statue atop the Mall of Georgia is a tribute to Button Gwinnett, one of the signatories of the United States Declaration of Independence, and for whom Gwinnett County is named after. The statue is a notable landmark of the area, and serves as a reminder of the county's historical significance.
== Anchors ==
=== Current ===
* Belk
* Dillard's
* JCPenney
* Macy's
* Von Maur
* Regal Cinemas
* Dick's Sporting Goods
* Barnes & Noble
* Haverty's
=== Former ===
* Bed Bath & Beyond
* Nordstrom
* Lord & Taylor
* Galyan's
* Rich's
== Gallery ==
=== Videos ===
File:Thriving Mall- Mall of Georgia|Mall Tour
File:Schindler 300A Hydraulic Elevators at Mall of Georgia|The Main Elevator
File:Schindler hydraulic elevator in Nordstrom's Department Store at the Mall of Georgia in Buford, GA|The Nordstrom Elevator
File:Schindler 3300 Elevator@Forever 21, Mall of Georgia|The Forever 21 Elevator
== External Links ==
Mall Of Georgia's Official Website
Mall Of Georgia/Stores 
Category:Malls in the United States
Category:Malls in Georgia
Category:Shopping Malls
Category:Simon Property Group Malls
Category:Malls that opened in 1999
Category:Multi-Level Malls
Category:Former Rich's-anchored Malls
Category:Former Lord & Taylor-anchored Malls
Category:Former Nordstrom-anchored Malls
Category:Dillard's-anchored Malls
Category:Macy's-anchored Malls
Category:JCPenney-anchored Malls
Category:Belk-anchored Malls
Category:Von Maur-anchored Malls
Category:Former Galyan's-anchored Malls
Category:Dick's-anchored Malls
Category:Regal Cinemas-anchored Malls
Category:Barnes & Noble-anchored Malls
Category:Haverty's-anchored Properties
Category:North America