Today the Urban Redevelopment Agency of Gwinnett County approved the $11.5 million purchase of the 11.5-acre former Sears site at Gwinnett Place Mall. 

With this acquisition, expected to close by the end of October, the Urban Redevelopment Agency and Gwinnett County will own a combined 87.5 acres of the Gwinnett Place Mall site. The redevelopment of the Gwinnett Place Mall site will create a dense, mixed-use activity center that is well connected, green and walkable, while preserving the cultural diversity and character of the area. It will also include the Gwinnett Place Transit Center, which the Board of Commissioners approved in March 2025. Funded largely by the Federal Transit Administration, the Transit Center will expand connection throughout the County and is projected to be completed in 2032. 

“We’re building incredible momentum toward transforming this site into a hub for catalytic change and opportunity for our residents, entrepreneurs and businesses,” said Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson. “I’m proud of the purposeful progress we’re making and look forward to what’s ahead.” 

The purchase further sets the stage for the redevelopment of the mall site, which aligns with and furthers the goals and priorities of the County’s 2045 Unified Plan. The redevelopment is guided by two public input studies – the Equitable Redevelopment Plan and the Gwinnett Place Mall Site Revitalization Strategy – that identified community needs for the future of the site and surrounding area. The Equitable Redevelopment Plan was informed by eight months of community engagement with direct input from more than 2,000 Gwinnett residents, and the Gwinnett Place Mall Site Revitalization Strategy was a combined effort between Gwinnett County, the Gwinnett Place CID and the Atlanta Regional Commission.  

“With this step, we’re excellently positioned to attract top development partners that will help us achieve our vision for this site,” said District 1 Commissioner Kirkland Carden. “This redevelopment will create economic opportunities for our residents and grow our county’s tax digest.” 

In 2021, the Urban Redevelopment Agency initially purchased a 39-acre portion of the Gwinnett Place Mall site, and in 2024, an additional 23 acres were purchased on the site of the former Macy’s department and furniture store properties. The County is partnering with CBRE, a global real estate services firm, to align strategies with community priorities and market demand. Drawing on national experience, CBRE is engaging leading developers and sharing best practices from major redevelopment projects. The company is also preparing a nationwide request for proposals designed to attract top-tier partners to help redevelop the Gwinnett Place Mall site. The County expects to begin its selection process for a development partner with the nationwide release of the RFP later this month.  

“Partnering with CBRE will accelerate our redevelopment process and ensure visibility among the type of world-class partners we are seeking in Gwinnett,” said County Administrator Glenn Stephens. “By leveraging the resources of local government and a best-in-class private sector partner, we will ensure the redevelopment of the Gwinnett Place Mall site meets the Gwinnett standard.”  

Stay up to date on the Gwinnett Place Mall redevelopment.