Arbor Place Mall Reopens To Little Traffic, Most Stores Closed

DOUGLASVILLE, GA — What happens when you reopen a mall after shelter-in-place ends and nobody comes?

That question was answered Friday when Arbor Place Mall in Douglasville became one of the first covered shopping centers in metro Atlanta to open its doors after more than a month out of business because of the coronavirus pandemic.

At 4 p.m. Friday the parking lots were largely deserted, filled only with small clusters of vehicles around the main entrances. Inside was equally desolate — the anchor stores were locked tight, most other stores were closed as well, and only a handful of customers roamed the halls.

Even though most visitors left their masks at home, social distancing was easy because, well, there weren’t that many visitors there. The only thing missing was tumbleweeds.

Arbor Place wasn’t supposed to be the only canary in the coal mine. Earlier this week, Simon Properties announced that it would reopen its seven Georgia shopping centers, including Lenox Square and the Mall of Georgia, on Friday. Arbor Place’s owner, CBL & Associates Properties, followed suit a few hours later.

Then, Friday morning, Simon announced that it would delay opening its five Atlanta-area stores until Monday. That left Arbor Place with Southlake Mall as one of the last men standing — kind of like the merchants who came back for business.

“We expect more people to come eventually, but right now it’s very slow,” said Karim Hoodani, who owns Wireless Solutions, a smartphone-accessory kiosk. “It’s kind of a scary situation, but we have to be out here to feed the family.”

Many visitors weren’t carrying bags and appeared to be only window shopping. Tom and Lisa Knight of Douglasville told Patch they stopped by out of curiosity after they noticed cars in the parking lot.

When they walked in and saw most stores shuttered, “I didn’t know what to think,” Tom said. “We might get something to drink at the food court.” Several eateries there were open but all seating was closed.

“Everybody’s got to make their own decision,” he added. “If you’re not comfortable coming out, don’t come out. If you’re comfortable, come out and support local businesses."

Related:

• Gov. Kemp Urging Georgians to Wear Face Coverings In Public
• COVID-19 Still Spreading In Georgia — But The Curve Is Flattening
• Delta Air Lines Says That All Customers Must Wear Masks
• The AJC Peachtree Road Race Has Been Pushed To Thanksgiving Day
• On Saturday The Blue Angels Will Fly Over ATL To Thank Workers
• Join Georgia Patch In Honoring The High School Class Of 2020