The Mall at Green Hills Parking Problem Is Mostly a Map Problem

When people complain about The Mall at Green Hills, they usually mean the parking. When WSMV went out to ask shoppers about the mall's planned makeover in June 2026, they talked about parking before they talked about any store. One called it "a nightmare." Another said parking was the biggest thing keeping her away. The same report also has the mall's general manager explaining where those shoppers are going wrong. Most of the spaces are in parking decks, and most drivers start in the surface lots anyway.

So the Green Hills parking problem is mostly about where people look first. The redevelopment Simon Property Group announced in February hasn't said anything about parking yet. That means the deck layout you have today is likely the one you'll be using this holiday season.

Where the 4,300 Spaces Actually Are

Simon lists more than 4,300 self-parking spaces at the mall, including three named decks. The rest are in the surface lots that WSMV's report describes.

Ruby is the big one. It has more listed spaces than Emerald and Gold put together, and it sits between two anchors, Macy's and Nordstrom. On its own, Ruby holds roughly four of every ten spaces on the property.

Emerald and Gold both serve the Dillard's end. Emerald is underneath the store, and Gold reaches it by walkway. The mall's elevator list helps you plan from there. One elevator runs between the lower and upper levels just outside Dillard's, another is on the lower level between J.Crew and SKIMS, and a third is on the upper level between Swarovski and Alo Yoga. If you're headed for a shop in the middle of the building, parking at the Dillard's end and taking the elevator out of Dillard's puts you on whichever level you need.

Simon says accessible parking is at or near every compliant door. For accessibility questions or wheelchair rental, the Security Dispatch Office is at (615) 297-8132.

Why Everyone Tries the Surface Lot First

In that June WSMV report, general manager Norah Buikstra said parking may not be as tight as people think. By her count, about 70 percent of the mall's spaces are in the decks, but many visitors still look for surface spaces first.

That may be part of why the mall can feel more crowded than its capacity suggests. By Buikstra's figure, the surface lots hold roughly three in ten spaces, and that smaller pool is where most drivers start looking. Circling one row of surface parking while a seven-level deck is a short walk away leaves the shopper and the mall with the same complaint.

The report adds one more detail. Buikstra said some parking areas around the property are paid. She didn't say which ones, and we couldn't confirm which nearby lots charge. If you take a surface space at the edge of the property, look for posted signs before walking away from the car. Simon's three decks are listed as self-parking.

Timing matters too. One shopper told WSMV she picks her shopping days around the parking and never goes on Saturdays or Sundays. The mall's posted hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. As of October 11, 2026, the hours page doesn't list holiday or Black Friday hours, and the mall's events page has no holiday parking or shuttle plans.

What Simon's Plan Says, and What It Leaves Out

Most coverage of the redevelopment has used a $250 million figure. Simon's own February 4, 2026 announcement describes that money as an investment program covering three centers: The Mall at Green Hills, Cherry Creek Shopping Center in Denver, and International Plaza in Tampa. The release doesn't say how much of it goes to Green Hills.

It does say why now. Simon completed its full acquisition of the three properties from Taubman Realty Group the previous November and took over management and leasing. For Green Hills, the release lists these pieces:

1. Grand, two-story flagship entrances
2. "Jewel-box" spaces for luxury boutiques
3. Lush landscaping and "elevated arrival moments"
4. Upscale interior finishes and architectural updates

Parking isn't on the list. The Tampa section of the same release describes a 50,000-square-foot open-air expansion and outdoor dining. The Green Hills section focuses on entrances and finishes. Simon labels its Green Hills rendering a conceptual representation that may change.

On timing, the release says only that "construction is expected to begin in 2026, with exciting tenant announcements to follow." In June, WSMV asked Buikstra whether construction would affect parking or whether the project might add spaces. She said there was "more to come." We couldn't find any later announcement of a start date, phasing plan, or entrance or deck closure as of mid-October 2026. The recent Metro building permits at the mall cover work inside individual store spaces. One example is a 1,200-square-foot interior renovation for ThirdLove in Unit 204, issued October 7, 2026. That permit says the work doesn't change the building's exterior or footprint.

So the redevelopment hasn't touched the deck layout. With two-story entrances planned, how people get from car to door may change once work begins. Until Simon says more, the three decks are the parking plan.

Which Deck Fits the New Stores

The store lineup has shifted this year, and some of the changes line up with particular decks.

Burberry is promoted as a "New Boutique" on the mall's homepage. One of the mall's ATMs is on the upper level outside Nordstrom and Burberry. That puts the store on the Nordstrom side, which is also where Ruby connects. Kendra Scott is also promoted as a new boutique. Edikted and Rowan are both marked "Now Open." Coach and Vuori have current directory pages with posted hours.

Earlier in the year, WSMV listed SKIMS, Hollister Co., and Valenti as recent openings, along with relocated Altar'd State and State & Liberty stores. SKIMS is easy to find from the lower-level elevator it shares with J.Crew.

Some of the stores announced in the spring aren't confirmed yet. Oota Egyptian Eatery and Mountain High Outfitters were on WSMV's June "opening soon" list, and we couldn't verify either one as open in the current mall listings. In August, WhatNow Nashville reported that AMIRI might be coming, based on a permit for Space 262 and a Nashville entry in the brand's store directory. The report said no opening date had been announced.

Getting There Without a Parking Space

Some of the traffic fixes Metro has planned for Green Hills sit outside the mall's property line. A September 2026 Metro investment sheet for District 24 lists targeted signal upgrades along the Hillsboro Pike and Abbott Martin Road corridors. It describes them as a way to cut delays and make travel more reliable through "one of Nashville's busiest regional destinations," with signals that can adjust during peak periods and special events.

The same sheet covers WeGo Route 7 on Hillsboro Pike. The planned upgrades would extend Sunday service hours and increase weekend frequency from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Weekday evening service from 6:15 to 10:15 p.m. would also go from every 30 minutes to every 20. The sheet presents these as program investments and doesn't give a start date. Once they take effect, a bus every 20 minutes would cover most of the mall's Saturday hours, from the 10 a.m. opening through 6 p.m. You'd be riding past Abbott Martin Road instead of looking for a space on it.

If you drive in from Brentwood or Franklin, Simon's directions use I-440 to Exit 3 at Hillsboro Pike, then a right turn. The mall is about a mile up on the right. From there, Ruby is the largest deck on the property. It has more than 1,810 spaces across seven levels and sits between Macy's and Nordstrom.

Living near Green Hills means knowing small things like which deck to use and which day the traffic eases up. When it's time to think about your own home, The Milam Group brings that same level of detail to pricing, timing, and presentation. Schedule a Personalized Market Consultation, and we'll show you how the latest Green Hills changes, the mall's plans included, affect what your home is worth.