Benton added the center hopes to be the shopping destination

for south metro shoppers.

"The mall team has a vision for Southlake Mall and has

been working towards this goal. We call it the 'jewel of the

Southern Crescent vision' where Southlake Mall is a family-friendly

exciting and entertaining place to shop. We don't want people driving

past us to shop on the north side of Atlanta," he said.

"We'll have all the bells and whistles when our food court

redevelopment is complete including a carousel, 740 seats,

new restrooms, including a deluxe family restroom, and a lounge

area. We're also aggressively going after higher-end retailers as a

part of our vision to broaden our mix," Benton said.

Last year, Southlake Mall opened Gymboree, The Icing,

The Disney Store, Paul Harris and Gap Kids. The Finish Line,

Gateway News, Children's Place and Uniform World will be opening in

the next few months. A pylon sign was recently erected along

the expressway giving the mall exposure to I-75 motorists. Plans

are also underway to build a children's soft-play area which would be

the first of its kind in an Atlanta mall.

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