Cobb Center

Cobb Center was a shopping mall in Smyrna, Georgia, a suburb in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Originally called Cobb County Shopping Center, it opened on August 15, 1963, and became the second mall built in Georgia. The center was developed during the postwar suburbanization of metropolitan Atlanta and was designed as an open-air retail complex with covered pedestrian walkways. Its initial tenant mix included nearly 50 stores, combining national and regional retailers with food, drugstore, grocery, restaurant, and entertainment uses. The mall’s principal anchor was Rich’s, the prominent Atlanta-based department-store chain. The Cobb Center location was Rich’s fourth store and initially occupied a two-story building. Other early tenants included Woolworth, Dunaway Drug, later associated with Eckerd, Davis House restaurant, later Davis Brothers Cafeteria, and a Colonial supermarket. A six-screen cinema operated on an outlot on the north side of the center and was later known as King’s Cinemas. The mall’s arrival significantly changed retail patterns in the surrounding area. It attracted branches of many clothing stores that had previously operated in downtown Marietta, contributing to the decline of Marietta’s traditional shopping district during the 1960s and 1970s. During its first decade, Cobb Center performed strongly and Rich’s expanded its store with a large north wing. Its competitive position weakened after Cumberland Mall opened in 1973. Cumberland was substantially larger and offered several major department-store anchors, while Cobb Center depended heavily on Rich’s. In response, Cobb Center was enclosed and added Grant City as a new anchor on its northwest corner. Grant City closed in 1976 and was replaced by Kessler’s, a lower-priced retailer. The enclosure and the continued popularity of Rich’s helped the center remain viable for a time. The mall faced further pressure after Town Center Mall opened in Kennesaw in 1986. Town Center was larger, included Rich’s, and was better positioned for the growing northern suburban market. At the same time, the neighborhood around Cobb Center declined, reducing the center’s customer base. In 1987, the property underwent a renovation for its twenty-fifth anniversary and was renamed Four Seasons Mall. The redesign used the bright pastel aesthetic common in 1980s retail interiors and improved the skylight system. Howard’s Restaurant also moved into the former Davis Brothers Cafeteria space, but the renovation did not produce a lasting recovery. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, vacancies and weak traffic had become persistent problems. Kessler’s closed in 1990, Rich’s was reduced to a clearance-oriented operation, and remaining tenants included Woolworth, Eckerd Drugs, and Friedman's Jewelry. A fire closed one wing, further reducing usable space. Most of the mall was demolished in 1995, although the former Rich’s building survived and continued operating until the store closed in February 2004. After the mall’s demolition, the surviving department-store structure was incorporated into a smaller redevelopment. Former mall entrances were sealed except for the main entrance, and strip-retail space was attached to both sides of the building. Part of the rear parking area was converted into a soccer park. The property eventually returned to the Cobb Center name. In December 2008, the Smyrna City Council unanimously approved rezoning allowing Imagine International Academy to occupy approximately 120,000 square feet of the two-story portion of the former Rich’s building. The school opened for the 2009–2010 academic year and began operating in 2010. As a shopping-mall brand, Cobb Center is therefore defunct, although portions of its former physical site were reused for education and other community-oriented purposes.

Cobb Center emerged from the postwar expansion of Atlanta’s suburbs. Located in Smyrna, Georgia, the center opened on August 15, 1963, under the name Cobb County Shopping Center. It was reported as the second mall built in Georgia and was developed as an open-air shopping center, with covered walkways and stores arranged around a central Rich’s department store. The original complex contained nearly 50 stores and mixed national chains with local and regional businesses. Rich’s, Woolworth, Dunaway Drug, Davis House restaurant, Colonial supermarket, and other tenants gave the center a broad everyday-shopping orientation. A six-screen cinema operated on an outlot to the north and later became known as King’s Cinemas. Cobb Center quickly became an important retail destination for the northwest Atlanta suburbs. Its Rich’s store was one of the chain’s early suburban locations and was expanded with a one-story north wing after the mall’s opening. The center also affected nearby Marietta, where many downtown apparel retailers opened branches at Cobb Center. Over time, the suburban center drew customers and tenants away from Marietta’s traditional commercial district, which had substantially weakened by the 1970s. The competitive environment changed when Cumberland Mall opened in 1973. Cumberland was larger, fully enclosed, and anchored by several major department stores, including Rich’s, Davison’s, Sears, and JCPenney. Cobb Center had less space and only one major department-store anchor. Its owners responded by enclosing the open-air center and adding Grant City on the northwest corner. When Grant City closed in 1976, Kessler’s occupied the space. The continued popularity of Rich’s, combined with Cumberland’s status as the main nearby competitor for a period, allowed Cobb Center to survive despite its smaller scale. A more serious decline followed the opening of Town Center Mall in Kennesaw in 1986. Town Center was significantly larger, included a Rich’s store, and was more convenient for expanding northern-suburban communities. The immediate area around Cobb Center was also experiencing economic and demographic deterioration, which reduced shopping traffic. In an effort to reposition the property, the center was renovated in 1987 for its twenty-fifth anniversary and renamed Four Seasons Mall. The project adopted a bright pastel interior, improved skylights, and sought to give the aging mall a more contemporary appearance. Howard’s Restaurant moved from across the street into the former Davis Brothers Cafeteria premises, providing a temporary attraction. The renovation did not solve the center’s structural problems. It did not substantially expand the mall, and large areas remained vacant, including the former Colonial and later Big Star grocery space. During the late 1980s, the property suffered from low customer traffic and continued tenant losses. Kessler’s closed in 1990 without a replacement. Rich’s was eventually converted into a clearance-focused store, while the remaining tenants included Woolworth, Eckerd Drugs in the former Dunaway Drug space, and Friedman's Jewelry. Howard’s later moved elsewhere, and one mall wing was closed after a fire. Most of Cobb Center was demolished in 1995. The former Rich’s building remained open until February 2004, when that store finally closed. Subsequent site work sealed most former mall entrances, attached strip-retail space to the surviving structure, and converted the rear parking area into a soccer park. The property again used the Cobb Center name. In December 2008, Smyrna officials approved rezoning for Imagine International Academy to occupy approximately 120,000 square feet in the two-story portion of the former Rich’s building. The school opened for the 2009–2010 school year and was operating by 2010. The history of Cobb Center illustrates the rise of suburban retail in metropolitan Atlanta, the competitive pressure created by larger regional malls, and the eventual conversion of an obsolete shopping property to new community uses.

• 2010

  Imagine International Academy begins operation

  [1]Cobb Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The former department-store building began its new use as an educational facility.

• 2008

  Rezoning approved for school reuse

  [1]Cobb Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Smyrna approved rezoning for Imagine International Academy to occupy part of the former Rich’s structure.

• 2004

  The surviving Rich’s store closes

  [1]Cobb Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The Rich’s operation in the surviving former anchor building closed in February.

• 1995

  Most of the mall is demolished

  [1]Cobb Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The main Cobb Center structure was demolished, while the former Rich’s building remained.

• 1990

  Kessler’s closes

  [1]Cobb Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Kessler’s shut its Cobb Center location, leaving the mall with fewer major tenants.

• 1987

  Renovation and rebranding as Four Seasons Mall

  [1]Cobb Centeren.wikipedia.org

  A renovation introduced a brighter 1980s design, improved skylights, and the Four Seasons Mall name.

• 1986

  Town Center Mall opens

  [1]Cobb Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The opening of a larger Rich’s-anchored mall in Kennesaw created a major new competitive challenge.

• 1976

  Kessler’s replaces Grant City

  [1]Cobb Centeren.wikipedia.org

  After Grant City closed, Kessler’s took over its space.

• 1974

  The center is enclosed and Grant City is added

  [1]Cobb Centeren.wikipedia.org

  In response to Cumberland Mall, Cobb Center was converted from an open-air format to an enclosed mall and gained Grant City as an anchor.

• 1973

  Cumberland Mall intensifies competition

  [1]Cobb Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The opening of the larger Cumberland Mall weakened Cobb Center’s competitive position.

• 1970

  Rich’s expands its Cobb Center store

  [1]Cobb Centeren.wikipedia.org

  During the center’s first decade, the Rich’s anchor added a one-story north wing, increasing its floor space.

• 1963

  Cobb County Shopping Center opens

  [1]Cobb Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The open-air shopping center opened in Smyrna on August 15 with nearly 50 stores and Rich’s as its principal anchor.

A suburban community shopping center serving Smyrna and the northwest Atlanta area, initially differentiated by its Rich's department-store anchor and broad mix of apparel, grocery, drugstore, dining, and entertainment tenants.

• Shopping mall · 1963

  Cobb Center shopping mall

  The core offering was a suburban shopping-center environment combining apparel, department-store, grocery, drugstore, jewelry, dining, and entertainment tenants. It began as an open-air center with covered walkways and was later enclosed to compete with larger regional malls.

• Department store · 1963

  Rich’s at Cobb Center

  Rich’s was the center’s defining anchor and one of the principal reasons it remained viable after larger competitors opened nearby. The store expanded early in the mall’s history and later survived as a clearance-oriented operation after the wider center deteriorated.

• Entertainment · 1963

  Cobb Center cinema

  A six-screen movie theater operated on an outlot on the north side of the center. It was subsequently associated with the King’s Cinemas name.

• 2008

  Approve educational reuse of the former anchor buildingStrategy

  Background

  After the mall’s demolition and the 2004 closure of the remaining Rich’s store, the former department-store structure required a new use.

  Action taken

  Smyrna’s city council unanimously approved rezoning for Imagine International Academy to occupy approximately 120,000 square feet of the building.

  Aftermath

  The building was adapted for school use, with the academy operating at the site from 2010.

  Source

• 1995

  Demolish the main mall structureOther

  Background

  Persistent vacancies, weak traffic, tenant closures, a declining surrounding area, and competition from larger suburban malls left the property unable to operate successfully as a conventional mall.

  Action taken

  Most of the mall was demolished, while the former Rich’s building was retained temporarily.

  Aftermath

  The surviving building was later adapted with attached strip-retail space and eventually reused in part by an academy.

  Source

• 1987

  Rebrand the property as Four Seasons MallStrategy

  Background

  The center faced declining traffic, vacancies, an aging physical appearance, and competition from Cumberland Mall and the newly opened Town Center Mall.

  Action taken

  The property was renovated with a brighter 1980s design, improved skylights, and the Four Seasons Mall name.

  Aftermath

  The rebranding provided only a short-term boost and did not reverse the center’s long-term decline.

  Source

• 1973

  Enclose the center and add a new anchorStrategy

  Background

  The opening of the larger Cumberland Mall exposed Cobb Center’s limitations as a small open-air center with one principal department-store anchor.

  Action taken

  The owners enclosed the mall and added Grant City on the northwest corner.

  Aftermath

  The changes helped the property survive for a period. Grant City later closed and was replaced by Kessler’s.

  Source

1. 1Cobb Centeren.wikipedia.org