Mall Shooting and ideas for a new shopping area (Birmingham: apartment complexes, houses)

[Mobile City Guy]

With the continued shootings at Bel Air, it’s obvious it will find a fate similar to Montgomery Mall. Where could Belk and Dillards go if a new development was created? I wish a savvy developer would do a Birmingham Summit type center in Mobile. The Summit is full and always busy, even with online shopping. Eastchase in Montgomery and Bridge Street in Huntsville are successful. Love to see the new Macy’s prototype store in Mobile. The time is ripe for someone to do that type project in Mobile.

[Mellowboy]

Agreed 100 percent! We need what you say to happen, but it seems the ones running Mobile just don't care.

[bon_regis]

Dillard’s and Belk would consolidate the Bel Air stores with their ESC counterparts before anchoring any new hypothetical development. Also, higher end retail isn’t in expansion mode, so this development would have huge amounts of vacant space.

[PortCity]

Yeah it's time for a new developwment in Mobile county. The ESC is dead and Bel Air is trash.Bel Air looks upscale from the main side but it isn't.

[ITGuyAL]

The festival center would make an excellent location for something like this. It's essentially empty at this point and if the entire area was bulldozed it would provide ample space to build an outdoor "lifestyle center" -- not to mention it's a prime location.

[AlwaysBeachin]

Nothing nice will ever make it in Mobile. Bel Air was a laughable attempt, and look how it turned out. The ESC high rents have run tenants out; otherwise, it could have done well. I think a big issue is online shopping vs brick and mortar stores. It costs companies too much overhead to pay these high rents when most shoppers buy online now. Lots of empty spaces at the Tanger Outlets also. If anything similar to the Summit was in the making, it would be on the Eastern Shore. That's where the growth and money is moving. Mobile has become dumpy. I grew up there and lived there 27 years, so I can say that. I moved to Baldwin County and haven't looked back.

Unfortunately, others are seeing the same picture and moving this way. Baldwin County is massively being overbuilt. There are 3 Aldi's going in, another Publix, an Amazon distribution center, more apartment complexes, and that massive 900+ home subdivision of cookie-cutter houses in Spanish Fort known as Stonebridge. It's so huge that they're having to build a school to accommodate it. I'm waiting for another housing crash. Many of these entry-level homes are going for $230k+; anything 2000 sf or more $300k+.

[edtv411]

The only hope for Bel Air is some form of redevelopment. While the anchors seem to be doing well, the inline tenants are dropping like flies (at many other malls as well) and the replacements are just there to fill space. It's in such a prime location off the interstate and Airport Blvd that a well-planned mixed-use development could be a major draw.


This mall has been screwed up so many times, it's time to hit the reset button and start over again.

[evlb401]

That is exactly what I was thinking! The location is really great. It just needs to be redeveloped. Anchors can stay. Redevelop with apartments, office, entertainment, and new retail. The site is huge.

[Southsky]

I don’t get people that come to the Mobile forum just to say Mobile is “dumpy,” and “left it years ago” and “never looked back” but continually come around and post about it as if they’re only looking for some vindication.

[evlb401]

I know right....”dumpy”. Give it 30 years and a lot Baldwin County will start to look ”dumpy” too. Just look at Lake Forrest.