Hickory Hollow went from farmland to crowded shopping to uncertain future

Mall ghost of Christmases past
The Tennessean

Ross' husband, Houston, who died in 1986, was instrumental in the land acquisition that resulted in the mall's development in 1979.
The property was farmland owned by J.E. Moss, a former Davidson County school superintendent, and other local landowners.
"My husband looked after all of Mr. Moss' business," said Ross, a resident of Hickory Hollow Towers, a nearby senior living facility built the same year as the mall.
She recalled how one day Moss contacted her husband about a land deal. Moss introduced Ross to some developers out of Memphis who were also the developers of Rivergate Mall.
At first, she said, they didn't want to include her husband in the deal becaues they had their own people and didn't want to pay a commission.
But, she added, Moss wouldn't go for that. He felt that local country folk would never negotiate with outsiders. He told them, "You people coming from out of town won't get anywhere. This boy can get it listed," she said.
"My husband worked with them and got them all listed," she said. "That's how he got in on the deal."
Mall brought 'a lot of people'
"It brought a lot of people into the area," said Wilber Hays, who married Ross' daughter Faye and whose family roots also go way back in Davidson County history.
Hays said car dealerships and apartment complexes began to spring up after the mall was built. "It brought lots of traffic," he added, pointing out how Bell Road was then only two lanes.
"Around the holidays, you couldn't even get a parking place," he said. "Castner-Knott, Cain-Sloan, Sears and J.C. Penney were the big stores. It was a good family mall; the kids were safe."
Hays said his son, Ross, worked there as a teenager. "It was really an asset to the community."
Mall starts to look a lot like Christmas
The mall has been met with challenges in recent years with the departures of some of its tenants, such as J.C. Penney, Hallmark, Dillard's and Linens 'n Things, as well as departures of big box stores outside its walls.
Pier I Imports, Michael's, Toys R Us, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft, Garden Ridge and Media Play have also left the area.
Meanwhile, shopping centers and malls such as Opry Mills, The Avenue and Stones River Mall in Murfreesboro, Providence in Mt. Juliet and CoolSprings in Franklin continue to pose strong competition.
And then there's the recent economic crisis to add to the mix.
"A lot of consumers are cautious this year with the economy," said Mike Johnson, regional manager for CBL & Associates Properties, Inc., which owns Hickory Hollow, Rivergate Mall and CoolSprings Galleria.
"It's affecting the retail business across the country," he said. "Consumer confidence is at a historical low."
This, said Johnson, "does put a cloud on the spending climate. How much of one remains to be seen."
Johnson hopes that the Christmas season will be a shot in the arm, though.
"We haven't seen the November numbers yet," he said. But, he said, "Several of the stores are offering discounts. We've seen traffic pick up due to some of the discounts the retailers are offering."
Also, said Johnson, "as the mall starts marketing and decorating for Christmas, we usually see an increase in traffic. I think everybody's waiting to see what kind of Christmas we have."
Redeveloping adjacency
As a result of the challenges Hickory Hollow Mall has faced recently, CBL plans to redevelop an adjacent property to try to revitalize the area.
Hickory Hollow Courtyard would be redeveloped with a fresh mix of restaurant and retail space. The movie theater and TGI Fridays would remain.
Also, CBL has explored the possibility of an office partnership that would resemble that of 100 Oaks Mall and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Hays said restaurants generally tend to do well in the area. Also, he said, anything that would encourage more people to shop in the area would be a plus.
Ross said she would like to the see the mall succeed, especially for the younger generations. She's hoping CBL plans turn it around. She remains optimistic.
"You can't stop progress," she said.