The Five Guys location at the Brookwood Village mall recently announced its closure with signage posted on the front doors.
The once beloved shopping center on the border of Mountain Brook and Homewood now stands completely vacant after years of stores closing.
For the past year, following the closure of the Hickory Tavern restaurant, Five Guys remained as the property’s only open business.
But the city of Homewood recently made a move to repurpose at least part of the property.
Last month, the city’s planning commission approved a major renovation proposal for a new 131,000-square-foot medical facility in the mall’s old Belk department store space.
Andrews Sports Medicine, the company proposing the facility, told the city that they are hopeful this center will become a catalyst for job creation and further economic growth in the metro.
But not all residents were happy about the news.
“I’m all for development in the city of Homewood,” said Jeremy Love at a public commission meeting.
“But I believe that if we use this facility for medical use, it’s going to hinder growth, more than it is to support growth.”
The mall opened its doors in 1974, surrounded by some of the metro Birmingham’s wealthiest communities. It was home to Alabama’s first Chick-fil-A and was originally anchored by Pizitz and Rich’s.
Renovations occurred in the 1980s and in 1991. But the most dramatic facelift came in 2001, when a streetscape was added along the front of the mall, featuring stores that open to the street and several restaurants that have become local favorites.
In 2007, Colonial Brookwood Center opened next to the mall. The 170,000-square-foot building includes office and retail space.
Since the mall closed down several ideas have been floated to repurpose it, including a mixed-use development option or a residential facility with townhomes or condos.
The Homewood City Council is expected to take a vote on the medical redevelopment this month, according to the most recent updates from city officials.
The city will also consider resurveying the property to split it into three separate lots.
One 3.3-acre lot would be redeveloped into the new medical center, if its approved, according to Homewood City Planner Fred Goodwin.
The remainder of the 14-acre property would be divided into one large lot, which would contain the majority of the former mall, and one smaller lot that would contain primarily surface parking, Goodwin said previously.
link
