SHOP
The Big One
Mall of Georgia celebrates its 20th year BY ALISON MILLER
hen Simon Property Group opened Mall of Georgia in 1999, it was the largest shopping destination in the Southeast. With 1.8 million square feet of indoor space and 150,000 square feet of outdoor space, it still is. And though 2019 marks its 20th year as the nucleus
W
72 • EXPLORE GWINNET T
of northern Gwinnett, it has without a doubt evolved into a 21st-century mall—something markedly different from the dim suburban shopping structures of yore. It is not simply somewhere to shop, it’s a multifaceted gathering place with experiences at every turn. Take, for instance, The Village. Just outside the mall’s central entrance, four freestanding retail structures flank a lengthy green space filled with family amenities. A spacious lawn fans out from an open-air amphitheater. Beyond it, there’s a kids play area and a splash pad, and in the winter, a synthetic ice-skating rink. “The Village is a destination unto itself,” says Mall of Georgia’s General Manager John DiCioccio. Restaurants, including Aliño Pizzeria, Smokey Bones, and Tin Lizzy’s Cantina, surround this communal area, and as of 2016, open
containers are allowed within its bounds—which means you can kick back in a comfy Adirondack chair, cocktail in hand, as the kids romp and roam. Events like Shake Your Shamrock, Movies Under the Stars, and the Summer Concert Series, take place here throughout the year, while free yoga classes and a CornholeATL league are offered in the spring, summer, and fall. “It’s a place to create great family memories,” says Director of Marketing and Business Development Teresa Holloway. With a soaring, barrel-vaulted ceiling full of skylights and an enormous fan-shaped window above its entrance, the mall’s food court mimics Atlanta’s original Union Station. A floor-to-ceiling revamp last year added soft banquettes, modern tables and chairs, new flooring, LED lighting, and two large TVs that stream sporting events.
