Hickory Hollow Mall
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedFormer regional shopping mall in Antioch, Nashville, Tennessee, later redeveloped and operated as Global Mall at the Crossings.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Hickory Hollow Mall was a large regional indoor shopping center in Antioch, a southeastern Nashville neighborhood in Tennessee. Located near Interstate 24 at Bell Road, the mall opened in 1978 during a period of rapid suburban growth following the extension of Nashville’s sewer system and the construction of extensive apartment communities around Antioch. It became Middle Tennessee’s fifth enclosed mall and one of Tennessee’s earliest two-level indoor shopping centers. The original complex used a T-shaped plan with three retail wings joined by a two-story atrium. Its design featured a glass ceiling, steel latticework, a water feature, a glass elevator, landscaped areas, and a multilevel food court. At opening, the center contained 137 tenants, including Cain-Sloan, Sears, Castner Knott, B. Dalton Booksellers, The Gap, Kay Jewelers, Thom McAn, Hallmark Cards, Kirkland’s, and local food businesses. Its cinema showed first-run films, and the food court included the first Tennessee location of Chick-fil-A. The property ultimately grew to approximately 1.1 million square feet and 249 stores, making it Tennessee’s largest and highest-grossing mall during its peak period. The mall expanded in 1982 with a JCPenney anchor and additional stores. Further changes followed in the 1990s, including a major 1991 expansion, a new Dillard’s building, a parking garage, food-court improvements, and the opening of the Hickory 8 multiplex in 1997. Department-store identities changed repeatedly as Cain-Sloan became Dillard’s, Castner Knott locations were transferred and rebranded through Saks Incorporated’s Proffitt’s chain, and later stores became Hecht’s and Belk-related properties. Hickory Hollow’s long period of prosperity ended during the 2000s. Newer competitors such as Opry Mills, Stones River Mall after renovation, and The Avenue Murfreesboro drew shoppers away. Demographic and economic changes in Antioch, increased local crime reporting, several incidents on or near mall property, the departure or bankruptcy of major retailers, and changing consumer habits compounded the pressure. Occupancy fell sharply, and the mall lost JCPenney in 2006, Dillard’s in 2008, Sears and Macy’s in 2012, and Best Buy in 2012. By 2012, only a small number of stores remained, and the property was widely characterized as a dead mall. A major restructuring began in 2012. CBL & Associates worked with Nashville agencies and civic partners to reposition the property as a mixed-use, internationally themed center. Nashville State Community College acquired and converted the former Dillard’s space for a satellite campus. The mall was subsequently known as Global Mall at the Crossings and retained a smaller collection of international retailers, restaurants, professional services, educational uses, and community-oriented tenants. More than $50 million was reportedly invested in revitalization work between 2012 and 2016, although occupancy remained limited. After 41 years of operation, the mall closed in 2019, with demolition scheduled for 2026 according to the cited reference material.
History
Hickory Hollow Mall emerged from the rapid suburbanization of Antioch during the 1970s. Once a rural farming community, Antioch experienced substantial population growth after sewer infrastructure reached the area and apartment construction expanded. The mall was built on 27 acres near Bell Road and Interstate 24, positioning it to serve both the growing southeastern Nashville population and a broader Middle Tennessee trade area. The center opened in August and September 1978, with its formal inauguration reported on August 11 and its public opening dated September 21 in the cited historical account. It began with three wings arranged around a large two-story atrium and 137 tenants. Cain-Sloan opened shortly before the mall’s public opening, while Sears and Castner Knott served as the other original department-store anchors. The building’s interior emphasized natural light and spectacle, using a glazed atrium, steel structural detailing, a water feature, and a glass elevator. A cinema and a landscaped, multilevel food court added entertainment and leisure uses to the retail mix. During its first years, Hickory Hollow was Tennessee’s largest retail facility by floor area and became a dominant shopping destination. In 1982, a $10 million expansion added JCPenney to the north wing along with 24 stores. Cain-Sloan was acquired by Dillard’s in 1987. A $25 million project in 1991 altered the anchor arrangement, converted the former Dillard’s space into smaller shops, and built a new Dillard’s store and parking garage. The food court was enlarged in 1993, and a separate Hickory 8 multiplex opened in 1997. Through the 1990s and early 2000s, the property continued to receive renovations, including improvements to entrances, carpeting, fixtures, food-service areas, and children’s amenities. The mall’s department-store landscape changed repeatedly. Castner Knott was acquired by Dillard’s in 1998, but antitrust considerations led the company’s Nashville locations to be transferred and rebranded through Proffitt’s. The affected store later became associated with Hecht’s and subsequently with the changing national department-store ownership landscape. CBL & Associates acquired Hickory Hollow in 1998 and continued efforts to modernize the center. Despite these interventions, competition intensified as Nashville gained newer retail destinations. Opry Mills opened in 2000, Stones River Mall underwent major work in the following decade, and The Avenue Murfreesboro opened in 2007 as a large outdoor shopping complex. The decline became unmistakable after 2005. JCPenney left in 2006, and the mall lost Dillard’s in 2008. The national closures and bankruptcies of retailers such as Linens ’n Things and Steve & Barry’s further reduced the tenant base. At the same time, declining incomes, demographic change, increased reports of crime in the surrounding area, and several violent incidents on or near the property affected public perceptions. By 2010, the north and south wings were largely vacant, while other tenants announced departures after the loss of major anchors. Sears and Macy’s closed in 2012, followed by Best Buy. CBL then pursued a near-total tenant reset, reducing the property to a small group of remaining occupants while seeking a new purpose. Nashville State Community College acquired the former Dillard’s space and opened classes there in August 2012. Civic agencies, the Nashville parks and recreation department, the Metro Arts Commission, and the Nashville Public Library participated in broader revitalization planning. The property was later promoted as Global Mall at the Crossings, with an internationally oriented tenant mix and a combination of retail, food, services, education, and community uses. The redevelopment prevented immediate abandonment but did not restore the mall to its former regional scale. Reference material reports that more than $50 million was invested between 2012 and 2016, when 58 tenants occupied approximately 47.8 percent of the property. After operating for 41 years, the mall closed in 2019. The former mall site is scheduled for demolition in 2026 according to the cited Wikipedia reference.
- 2026
Demolition scheduled
[1]The cited reference states that demolition of the former mall is scheduled for 2026.
- 2019
Mall closes
[1]After a period as Global Mall at the Crossings, the property closes after 41 years of operation.
- 2012
Anchor closures and redevelopment reset
[1]Sears, Macy’s, and Best Buy close; CBL announces a plan to terminate most remaining leases and reinvent the property.
- 2012
Nashville State satellite campus opens
[1]Nashville State Community College begins classes in a converted former department-store space.
- 2008
Dillard’s closes
[1]Dillard’s liquidates and closes its store, triggering further departures by smaller retailers.
- 2006
JCPenney leaves
[1]JCPenney departs after 24 years, and occupancy begins a pronounced decline.
- 2000
Opry Mills opens
[1]The opening of Opry Mills introduces a newer major shopping competitor in the Nashville market.
- 1998
CBL acquires the mall
[1]CBL & Associates acquires Hickory Hollow Mall and undertakes further efforts to maintain its competitiveness.
- 1997
Hickory 8 opens
[1]A separate eight-screen cinema opens in the east parking area, replacing the original mall theater soon afterward.
- 1991
Major expansion and anchor reconstruction
[1]A $25 million project creates smaller shops from the former Dillard’s space and adds a new Dillard’s building and parking garage.
Products and positioning
Originally positioned as a large, family-oriented regional shopping destination serving southeastern Nashville and Middle Tennessee; later repositioned as a smaller, multicultural mixed-use and community-oriented center under the Global Mall at the Crossings name.
Retail real estate · 1978
Regional enclosed shopping center
The principal offering was leased retail space in a large enclosed regional mall serving Antioch, Nashville, and surrounding Middle Tennessee communities. At its peak, the complex covered approximately 1.1 million square feet and contained as many as 249 stores, supported by department-store anchors, indoor common areas, extensive parking, food service, and entertainment facilities.
Food court · 1978
Food Garden
The mall’s food court used multilevel seating, landscaping, and a broad mix of quick-service and local food concepts. Its early tenants included The Cookie Store, Swensen’s Ice Cream Factory, Tater Junction, and Chick-fil-A, whose mall location was the first in Tennessee.
Cinema · 1997
Hickory 8
Hickory 8 was a separate eight-screen movie theater opened in the mall’s east parking area in 1997. It succeeded the original cinema inside the mall and provided a dedicated entertainment use during the center’s mature period.
Mixed-use shopping center · 2012
Global Mall at the Crossings
The later operating identity represented an attempt to reposition the declining mall as an internationally themed, community-oriented center. Its smaller tenant mix included international retail, restaurants, services, educational uses, and other community-facing activities rather than the former department-store-led regional model.
Marketing campaigns
- 2012Hickory Hollow revitalization program
Antioch · Nashville · Tennessee
CBL & Associates worked with Nashville municipal and cultural agencies to transform the nearly vacant shopping mall into a mixed-use and community-oriented destination. The plan included educational, arts, library, parks, retail, and internationally focused uses.
Outcome. The property operated under the Global Mall at the Crossings identity and had 58 tenants reported in 2016, but occupancy remained below half of the available space and the center closed in 2019.
- 2010Hickory Hollow Action Partnership
Antioch · Nashville · Tennessee
A local partnership began meeting in 2010 to address negative perceptions of the mall and its surrounding community. The initiative sought to support a broader change in how the property and Antioch were viewed.
Outcome. The effort preceded a larger property-reinvention program, but the mall ultimately closed in 2019.
Brand decisions
2012
CBL orders a broad tenant resetStrategyBackground
After the departures of Sears, Macy’s, Best Buy, and many smaller stores, the mall had become largely vacant and its traditional regional-shopping model was no longer viable.
Action taken
CBL announced that it would terminate leases for all but a small number of tenants while exploring a new concept with local officials.
Aftermath
The property was redeveloped and later operated as Global Mall at the Crossings, with a smaller international and mixed-use tenant base.
2012
Former Dillard’s space converted for higher educationStrategyBackground
The redevelopment strategy sought to replace lost department-store traffic with durable community and institutional uses.
Action taken
Nashville State Community College acquired the former Dillard’s space and converted it into a satellite campus.
Aftermath
The campus opened for classes in August 2012 and became one of the principal non-retail uses in the repositioned property.
Sources1 sources
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