Mall at Green Hills Renovation 2026: What’s Changed So Far

A Green Hills shopper told WSMV, "It's a nightmare. It's really bad."

The comment came this summer, months after Simon Property Group unveiled a $250 million redevelopment plan for the property. If you live near Abbott Martin Road and have followed the headlines since February, you'd be forgiven for picturing scaffolding, torn-up entrances, maybe a temporary detour or two. Walk through the mall today and you'll find almost none of that. What you will find is a run of new storefronts, no confirmed construction start date, and a closer look at the mall's parking layout.

The plan is announced; visible changes so far are limited.

In February, Simon confirmed it had taken full control of The Mall at Green Hills after buying out its former partner, Taubman, and laid out plans for what it called a complete transformation: two-story flagship entrances, "jewel-box" spaces built for luxury boutiques, new landscaping, and upscale finishes meant to cement the property as the region's top retail destination. Simon's leadership framed it as the same playbook the company used on Southdale Center in Minneapolis, a full exterior and interior overhaul rather than a cosmetic refresh.

Seven months later, the exterior looks the same. What's actually shifted is happening inside, one storefront at a time. Christian Louboutin opened on the upper level next to Nordstrom. SKIMS and Swatch are both slated for the lower level, also next to Nordstrom, though neither had opened as of the most recent local tenant update in early August. Altar'd State is relocating across the hall from its current spot near Macy's, staying open through the move. Journey is shifting to a new spot outside Dillard's. Dolce & Gabbana joined the roster as well.

None of that is nothing. But none of it is the two-story entrance or the reimagined arrival experience Simon described in February either. If you've been waiting to see the "complete transformation" take shape, what you're actually watching is a tenant reshuffle, the kind malls do every year, running in parallel with a much larger project that hasn't broken ground.

Construction start date remains unconfirmed

Simon's February release said construction was "expected to begin in 2026." By June, local reporters asked mall general manager Norah Buikstra for specifics on timing. According to WSMV, she gave no confirmed start date or details on how the work would affect parking, saying only, "more to come." Simon's corporate side didn't add anything more specific, repeating only that construction would begin sometime this year.

With four months left in 2026 and no groundbreaking reported since, the construction timeline remains unconfirmed. That is useful context for anyone planning around possible construction detours.

Parking capacity and reported experiences

The parking figures add context to the discussion. Simon's own marketing for the property advertises more than 4,300 self-parking spaces, a number that sounds like plenty for a mall with roughly 130 stores and restaurants. But when reporters asked Buikstra directly about the parking complaints, she offered a detail that explains the disconnect: about 70 percent of that total sits inside the mall's parking decks, not in surface lots.

That distribution helps explain why the total number of spaces may not reflect the experience of someone seeking a surface spot. Shoppers like Molly Milam and Carissa Schmidt describing the lot as impossible are describing their own experience; the overall capacity includes both surface lots and decks.

That distinction is relevant when considering whether the $250 million project addresses parking. A facade redesign with grander entrances doesn't add a single new parking space. If the redevelopment doesn't also change how people find and use the decks already built, shoppers may continue to raise parking concerns after the ribbon-cutting.

The announced changes and current status, side by side

What this actually means if you shop here regularly

If your routine already includes the mall, the honest read is this: nothing about your day-to-day visit is likely to change in the immediate term. The new stores are worth a look if you've been curious about Louboutin or waiting on SKIMS, and the Altar'd State and Journey moves are minor enough that you might not notice unless you're looking for a specific storefront that's moved a few doors down. No groundbreaking has been reported for the bigger project everyone read about in February.

The parking layout may be useful to keep in mind while the construction timeline remains unconfirmed. If the surface lots near your usual entrance are full, the decks hold most of the mall's parking capacity and may be another option.

Green Hills has always worked because it's dense with things people actually visit on a regular Tuesday, not just a shopping list. The Bluebird Cafe is a few minutes away, Hill Center still runs its own separate mix of boutiques and restaurants, and none of that rhythm depends on whether Simon breaks ground this fall or next spring. The mall is one piece of the neighborhood, not the whole of it.

If you're weighing a move to Green Hills or thinking about what a property near this kind of redevelopment means for your own plans, that's a longer conversation, and one Jessica Cassalia is glad to have. Reach out for a free home valuation or a conversation about what's actually happening in this market, informed by the kind of local detail that doesn't show up in a press release.