Nashville's long-dead Hickory Hollow Mall in Antioch will not reopen as mall, new investor says

The former 1970s-era Hickory Hollow Mall in South Nashville's booming Antioch neighborhood has finally attracted an investor. 

Ben Freeland, a leading developer in Antioch, is under contract to purchase the hulking indoor mall, he confirmed on Monday.

Now known as Global Mall at the Crossings, the once-vibrant shopping center has languished for about a decade. Nearly every store inside was shut down by 2012.

But the old Macy's, J.C. Penney and other separate anchor tenants have already been redeveloped as Bridgestone Americas offices, a Metro community center, and the Nashville Predators' Ford Ice Center. 

Freeland said he is still considering what to develop at the hulking site. He owns TriStar Medical Plaza at the Crossings and several car dealerships, including Freeland Chevrolet Superstore, among other parcels.

"We’re really excited about what the property presents," Freeland said. "We’re evaluating all the options. We want it to be the best it can for the community and the city of Nashville."

Freeland said the old mall could either be repurposed or demolished, but will not be reopened as a mall. 

The mall's downfall followed closures of anchor tenant stores, like Macy's, Sears and other big-box retailers that have suffered major nationwide hits from the growth of online shopping. 

U.S. indoor malls, popular in the 1970s and 1980s, have deteriorated dramatically since the 1990s. Shoppers have increasingly turned to outdoor shopping centers and online retailers. 

"We've been interested in it for a number of years and the opportunity presented itself," Freeland said. "With the successful redevelopment of the mall property as well as Century Farms, it's going to really set this part of the city up to lead the way in the next decade."

The Antioch neighborhood, with its competitive home prices, has been one of Nashville's fastest growing areas. 

Nearby, the 300-acre Century Farms development is underway at the Hickory Hollow Parkway exit of Interstate 24. 

A Tanger Outlets mall is slated for the development, along with office tenants Asurion, Bridgestone Americas, Community Health Systems, LKQ and TriStar Medical Group. 

The purchase price for Global Mall at the Crossings has not yet been released. 

In 2012, investors Rajesh Aggarwal and Reita Aggarwal bought the indoor mall for the low price of $1 million.