Riverbend Mall in Rome, GA was the first shopping mall in Northwest Georgia. It opened in 1975, was renovated in 1989 and demolished in 2002. It was originally anchored by Miller's, Belk Rhodes and Lays. Read more...

There were several reasons for this mall being demolished. First, it was located right next to a river, that would flood the mall almost every year. There was a story of a woman trying on a coat at belks after one of the floods, and being greeted by a water snake inside the coat. The second reason was the city wanted a more upscale location for the mall. A retaining wall was built and the area turned into a mixed use, retail center, anchored by Kroger, Ross, Barnes, T,J. Maxx, and Michaels.