The past, present and future of the Macon Mall
By Mitch Jaugstetter
MACON, Ga. — Four anchor stores, parking lots full of cars, long lines and a bubble elevator were all things the Macon Mall had when it opened in July of 1975.
Once a prospering mall, the Macon Mall has seen success and struggle over the years.
Now, the mall seems like a ghost town, with a high vacancy rate and a lack of customers, quite the change from 40 years prior.
In the heart of Georgia, the Macon Mall was the shopping hub for residents of Macon and of the Middle Georgia area from the mid 1970s to mid 2000s.
At the time of construction, it was the second largest shopping center in Georgia, and some customers drove as long as 90 minutes one way to shop.
Located in west Macon, the mall spanned more than million square feet.
During the construction process, the mall went through a few name changes before being named Macon Mall.
“It went from Macon Mall to Colonial Mall of Macon, back to Macon Mall. I think those were all the names that were associated with it,” said Muriel Jackson, Head of the Genealogical and Historical Room at Washington Memorial Library.
However, the opening of the massive mall had its consequences.
According to The Telegraph archives, critics of the mall resented how the new retail center drained business from downtown Macon stores.
Downtown businesses were not receiving as much business as before. People did not depend on downtown for retail shopping anymore.
In 1987, the Macon Mall won the “Great North Macon Mall Race.”
A potential development in North Bibb County that would be named “Wesleyan Mall” was in the works.
However, developers found that it would be difficult for a mall to compete with the Macon Mall. There would have been a battle of the tenants.
Macon Mall saw years of success and glory after this battle in 1987.
The mall went through multiple renovations and expansions throughout the 1980s and 1990s as it continued to thrive, and at one point boasted six anchor stores.
However, in 2008 The Shoppes at River Crossing were built in North Bibb County, and some of the mall’s anchors moved. Dillards left first and later Belk’s made the move as well.
These moves led to a domino effect of store departures — some heading to t The Shoppes as well while others left Macon altogether.
After the departure of multiple stores, the new owners of the Macon Mall, Hull Property Group, demolished the east wing of the mall that once housed Dillards and a parking garage.
In recent years, the mall has attracted a few new businesses such as Smok’n Pig restaurant, B. Turners Clothing Company and Dry Falls Outfitters.
Future plans for the property and area are not confirmed, but according to Macon-Bibb County District 9 Commissioner Al Tillman, work is being done.
“This year (2016) I used blight funds of $150,000 to help improve the entire Eisenhower Parkway area that includes the Macon Mall,” Tillman said.
