For Mall West End, fresh name, visuals, details have emerged

Out with Mall West End and in with… “One West End”?

According to a new “Coming Soon” promotional website, the One West End branding will be applied to a 12-acre mall site that’s been a West End shopping destination for half a century but is set for a mixed-use overhaul that leverages proximity to downtown, MARTA, the Atlanta Beltline, and Atlanta University Center, among other attractions.

The website was put together by BRP Companies and The Prusik Group, New York City-based real estate companies that closed on Mall West End's property four weeks ago for an undisclosed price.

Those firms plan to redevelop the 1970s shopping center in partnership with the City of Atlanta and Atlanta Beltline Inc., with Atlanta Urban Development Corporation—a local nonprofit entity that strives to develop underused public land into mixed-income housing—also on board, according BRP officials.

The online promo package, which invites CRE professionals and neighborhood residents to “be a part of West End’s next chapter,” also includes the most specific visuals to date for what mall redevelopment could look like.

City leaders recently predicted Mall West End’s site will see 1.7 million square feet of development in coming years, costing to the tune of $450 million.  

Construction is expected to begin sometime next year, following rounds of community engagement to gather design input.

According to a city announcement earlier this month, the first phase will deliver in 2026. But the One West End website states the initial phase won’t open until roughly two years later, or sometime in 2028.

Key facets of the redevelopment are set to include roughly 125,000 square feet of retail with a grocery store, local boutiques, a fitness center, and food-and-beverage options.

At least 10,000 square feet of commercial space that leases at affordable rates will also be in the mix for qualified local small businesses, along with 12,000 square feet of medical office space, per the city.

Other sections would see a 150-room hotel built, plus roughly 900 units of mixed-income rental housing. According to the city’s announcement, 70 percent of those rentals would be reserved as workforce housing, while 20 percent would rent at 50 percent of the area median income or less, and 10 percent at 80 percent AMI.

Elsewhere would be student housing and communal perks that include bike parking, a public greenspace, resident lounges, and activated streetscapes, per the city.

Mall West End’s ownership group had been exploring options to offload the property for several years. The mall is dotted with vacancies but counts Planet Fitness, Foot Locker, Journey’s, and food-and-beverage options such as American Deli as primary attractions today. Project leaders have called finding space for legacy retailers a priority for new development.

With its location near MARTA’s West End station, the Beltline’s Westside Trail, and AUC colleges, the mall property has had no trouble attracting developer interest in recent years. But each of three earlier visions fell apart—including a slightly smaller proposal (1.5 million square feet of total development) from The Prusik Group and BRP.  

Funding for the deal includes $19 million in acquisition financing provided by Merchants Capital, plus a $5 million acquisition loan from Atlanta Urban Development and another $5 million from Beltline coffers, according to the city.

The development team has vowed to contribute at least $500,000 to a fund that will help qualifying commercial tenants with rent credits and tenant improvement allowances.

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