Atlanta’s premier shopping destination— Lenox Square — is commemorating 65 years in business.
The festivities include a public celebration on Thursday, Aug. 1, featuring remarks by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, a special proclamation presented by the Atlanta City Council on Monday, Aug. 5, and a $1,000 shopping spree social media contest throughout August.
The mall has come a long way over the years.
“From an initial open-air shopping center with 60 shops to a massive, enclosed community hub featuring nearly 250 stores, Lenox Square has increased its presence and profile over six decades to become the leading retail destination in the Southeast,” Lenox Square General Manager Robin Suggs said in a statement. “We appreciate our community, visitors, staff, and retailers for helping Lenox Square achieve and celebrate 65 years as a landmark in Buckhead and Atlanta.”
Join the Anniversary Celebrations:
- Aug. 1 Public Event: The celebration kicks off at 10 a.m. on the upper level between Nike and Apple. Attendees will hear about Lenox Square’s rich history and tremendous impact on Buckhead, Atlanta, and the Southeast from Suggs, Mayor Dickens and Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. Please RSVP to attend the event here.
- Aug. 5 Proclamation: The Atlanta City Council will honor Lenox Square’s 65th anniversary with a proclamation during their full council meeting at 1 p.m. at Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Avenue SW, in the Marvin S. Arrington, Sr. Council Chamber.
- Social Media Contest: To commemorate this major milestone, Lenox Square invites the public to join the celebration by participating in a social media contest throughout August for a chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree. To enter, follow @lenoxsqmall on Instagram and share your favorite Lenox Square memory by commenting under the anniversary post. Be sure to tag @lenoxsqmall and use #lenoxsquare65 in the caption. Enter Aug. 1 through Aug. 31. See the link for contest entry and rules.
Key Milestones over Lenox Square’s 65 Years
Throughout its rich history, Lenox Square has celebrated numerous significant milestones, including:
- 1956: Ed Noble, a former developer from Kansas City, Mo., and founder of Noble Properties, acquired the site for the mall.
- 1957: The groundbreaking event for Lenox Square was hosted in July 1957.
- 1959: Two years later, the mall was completed, and Lenox Square’s grand opening ceremony was held on August 3, 1959.
- 1960-1963: The magnificent three-level Lenox Square initially boasted an expansive 800,000 square feet of retail space, home to 60 diverse and vibrant tenants. Its original attractions included a lively bowling alley, an indoor golf driving range, and the charming Kresge five and dime store. Prestigious anchors like Rich’s, Davison’s, and the bustling Colonial Stores supermarket added to the mall’s allure. In 1963, the mall added a movie theater on the Market Level.
- 1970: In the early 1970s, Lenox Square underwent a significant renovation and expansion. A new wing was added, featuring the debut of the prestigious Neiman Marcus, marking its first location outside of Florida and Texas.
- 1980: Lenox Square embarked on a grand expansion on the south end, unveiling a three-level section with a vibrant food court, replacing the open-air Plaza Court and supermarket. This included a 19-story office building, a 24-story hotel, and a hotel-office parking garage and deck. These additions were conveniently positioned adjacent to MARTA’s Lenox transit station, which began operations in December 1984, linking the mall to the city’s transportation network.
- 1995: Lenox Square’s next expansion made it the largest shopping center in Georgia at the time. That year, a second story was added above the original Mall Level, bringing the shopping center to 1.457 million square feet.
- 2007-2014: Neiman Marcus expanded by 52,000 square feet, adding a 36,000-square-foot upper level to connect it to the main mallway. This brought Lenox Square’s total leasable square footage to 1.545 million, accommodating 240 stores and services. In 2014, the mall underwent its latest renovation.
- 2024: With over 35 million visitors annually, Lenox Square has emerged as a revered hub of commerce and community within the country and will always be a treasured place for generations of Atlantans to come.
To learn more about Lenox Square’s history, please visit this timeline.
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