\
A MUCH-loved mall near Birmingham is due to have its future decided in the coming months, as city officials consider a proposal to redevelop the site.
Local residents have taken to Facebook to share their Christmas memories of the beloved Brookwood Village in Homewood, Alabama.
1
Once a hive of activity, the shopping center declined as businesses moved out until only a burger restaurant remained in late 2023, but in its heyday it attracted crowds of shoppers.
“This mall WAS my childhood. My 3rd grade play did a mini-performance there, I played piano there, my husband proposed to me when visiting Santa and we took our baby to that same Santa… I’m honestly heartbroken over this loss,” posted one fan on Facebook.
Another wrote: “The memories of years of Christmas decorations, walking the long paths looking for the right gifts, eating in between purchases, and just resting before the long walks to your car after the close of your trip!!! Magical moments.”
And a third former customer sadly commented: “Those were the days that were so wonderful.
“I wish they could find a way to bring back Brookwood Mall. What better location could you ask for? I miss it sooo much!”
Fans were commenting in response to a poll organized by Alabama news website AL.com that asked people for their favorite Christmas memories of the venue.
A LITTLE HISTORY
Once a thriving commercial hub, Brookwood Village opened in 1974.
Through the ‘80s and ‘90s it was a meeting place for families, teens and couples who enjoyed shopping and eating at the mall’s popular restaurants.
The pandemic, which heightened the shift to shopping online, didn’t help, and the once-packed stores fell silent.
Retailers moved out and by September 2023, only the burger restaurant Five Guys remained. That too closed down at the end of November 2024.
While the fate of the shopping center is still undecided, Homewood officials have been considering alternative uses for the site.
One of the proposals is for a new medical facility in part of the premises, on the former Belk department store site.
This was approved by the Homewood planning commission in November and will be put before the city council for consideration, according to the Birmingham Business Journal.
Other possibilities mentioned for Brookwood include residential development.
US braces for ‘45,000 store closures’
Some 45,000 bricks-and-mortar stores could close in the next five years, experts have warned.
Several major retailers have announced store closures or gone out of business altogether in recent years.
Chains such as Foot Locker, Sally Beauty, Tuesday Morning, Shore City, Z Gallerie, and Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams have all gone out of business.
Bed Bath & Beyond has closed all of its brick-and-mortar stores and is now an online-only retailer.
The most affected retailers have been clothing, consumer electronics, sporting goods, hobby, book, music, and home furnishing stores since the start of 2019.
UBS has predicted the total number of retail stores will drop by 45k from 958k to 913k.
Despite that, the report says that certain stores should thrive while others decline.
It said retailers such as Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, and Target, could be among the winners.
RECENT RETAIL CLOSURES
There have been a series of shops shutting down this year, including the loss of hundreds of Big Lots stores.
The discounter filed for bankruptcy in September, announcing 315 closures, with another 56 closures announced in October and yet another 19 in November.
Kroger announced it is closing down its Belle Meade Plaza Shopping Center store.
The Nashville location is due to shut its doors for the last time on January 31, 2025.
Meanwhile movie chain Regal Cinemas has closed its Governor’s Square Mall theater in Tallahassee Florida.
This follows the closure of an AMC Theatres cinema in Ohio in September and the shuttering of Cinema 8 in Kearney, Nebraska last May.
