Outdoor outfitter L.L. Bean is planting its flag in Georgia for the first time, with a store planned at Lulah Hills, the mixed-use redevelopment rising on the footprint of the old North DeKalb Mall in Decatur. The national brand is set to be one of the newest anchor tenants in a project developers hope will turn the long-vacant site into a walkable retail and residential neighborhood.
The plan was first reported by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, which said L.L. Bean will serve as an anchor at Lulah Hills. According to the Chronicle, the announcement came in a release from developer EDENS, which bought the property in 2021 and has been leading the site's multi-year transformation.
What Lulah Hills Will Include
The Lulah Hills project covers roughly 78 acres and is planned to deliver more than 300,000 square feet of retail alongside thousands of housing units and several acres of public green space. Project marketing and the site's team describe Lulah Hills as a walkable neighborhood that pairs national anchors with local restaurants and services. Lulah Hills' website lays out the site plan and program for the redevelopment.
Timeline And The First Residential Phase
Crescent Communities, the builder of NOVEL Lulah Hills, the project's first residential phase, says vertical construction is underway on a 303-unit apartment building that will include ground-floor retail. Crescent's announcement and local reporting place the first wave of shops in early 2027, with initial apartments arriving later that year. Crescent Communities framed the groundbreaking as an important step in the site's transformation.
Retail Mix And Local Context
Developers have already rolled out a mix of tenants for the site, from Anthropologie and new furniture showrooms to a relocated Publix, while an AMC theater and Marshalls remain from the mall era. Local outlets have said the project aims to plug a retail gap between Ponce City Market and Buckhead and to connect nearby neighborhoods to new green space and transit links. rises from the rubble previously reported on that lineup.
Why L.L. Bean Matters
L.L. Bean's decision to locate at Lulah Hills is a notable vote of confidence for the site and gives metro shoppers a brand that has previously skirted Georgia's brick-and-mortar footprint. The Atlanta Business Chronicle notes this will be the retailer's first full Georgia storefront and that it will anchor the redevelopment's retail spine. The announcement could help draw daytime and weekend foot traffic to the new streets and public spaces as the project phases come online.
Edens and project partners have signaled that more tenant announcements are coming; as Herbert Ames, Edens' managing director, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “We have a good bit more to announce that we're working on right now.” We'll update when more details about the L.L. Bean store, including its size and exact opening date, are released.
