North DeKalb Mall Spent 20 Years as a Promise. Lulah Hills Is Standing.

Last year, we reported that construction was beginning at Lulah Hills, the redevelopment of the former North DeKalb Mall. This update is about what has taken shape since then and what neighbors can expect next.

The 50,000-square-foot Publix building is now standing, and Novel Lulah Hills is rising next door with 303 apartments and ground-floor retail. AMC and Marshalls remained open through the transition, and Refuge Coffee joined the center in July. More shops, restaurants, homes and green space are planned.

The first wave of new retail is expected to open in 2027, while the first Novel apartments are projected for late 2027. Those are targets, not one opening date for the entire development. We also look at Decide DeKalb’s financing agreement, which allows developer Edens to be reimbursed for up to $70 million from increased property taxes over 15 years as the project is completed.

A year after our first construction update, Lulah Hills is no longer just a plan for the old mall site. We show what is standing now, what remains under construction and what to watch as the first new spaces prepare to open.