Northlake Festival built around WSB Tower
In March of 1982, a “Northlake Tower” shopping center development planned at the intersection of LaVista Road and Henderson Mill Road was delayed. Dallas, Texas developer Trammel Crow, was still negotiating with nearby communities. The developer planned to build a $15 million 100-store shopping complex on property occupied by a 663-foot WSB radio antenna. The property was owned by Cox Broadcasting Company, near Northlake Mall and Briarcliff Village. The entertainment complex described in the same article was to be built next to Doraville’s Golfland. (Atlanta Journal, March 4, 1982, “Entertainment complex dead, tower delayed”)
The shopping center, first called Northlake Tower Festival, included plans for a supermarket and multi-screen movie theater on the 41 acres. The radio tower would stay in place, possibly surrounded by a park. Trammel Crow would lease the property from Cox Broadcasting. Hotels were also considering building in the development.
The movie theater today is Movie Tavern by Marcus, but the original movie theater was AMC Northlake Festival 8, opening on May 23, 1984. A newspaper ad can be seen on cinematreasures.org. The first movies to show were “Indian Jones & The Temple of Doom,” “Making the Grade,” “Footloose,” “Terms of Endearment,” “Greystone,” “Splash,” and “Moscow on the Hudson.”
A Honda Prelude was offered as a grand prize to those who attended the theater as part of the grand opening. The theater also advertised a “computer box office that prints your ticket as you purchase it.”
In June of 1984, a full-page ad in the Atlanta Journal newspaper displays some of the shops and restaurants available. There was an Everybody’s Pizza. I don’t have many early Northlake Festival memories, but I did visit Everybody’s Pizza. Other businesses include a pet store, hair salon, gift shop, jewelry and photo shop.
By August of 1984, ads appear for A-1 Sewing Machine Company (still there, by the way) and Blimpies. Toys R Us is advertised in the December 1984 newspaper ads.
Trammel Crow built other “festival” shopping centers in the metro Atlanta area. You might remember Springs Festival, Hammond Festival and Buckhead Festival. These are ones built up to the point of July 1983, but more were planned, including Merchants Festival in the Merchants Walk area. Northlake Festival was under construction in July of 1983. (Atlanta Constitution, July 6, 1983, “Trammel Crow plans new Cobb shopping center”)
Social media posts suggest the WSB tower on LaVista Road dates to 1936 or 1937. Some describe green grass, cow pastures and ball fields surrounding the tower prior to the development of Northlake Festival.
The October 12, 1936 Atlanta Journal newspaper includes a programming schedule for WSB, where part of the description is a transmitter near Tucker. Sounds like the future location of Northlake Festival. By the way, the 1936 radio program schedule included Oxydol’s Own Ma Perkins airing at 1: 15 p.m. on Monday and The Honeymooners airing at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday.