58 replies to this topic

[mallguy]

Any news on this mall?

Do middle-income people shop there?

[davidzLA]

mallguy, on Feb 6 2007, 07:02 PM, said:

Any news on this mall?

Oh, it's dead.  I did walk through at Christmas as I anticipated.  Three empty anchor locations and many in-line vacancies.  The Sam Goody location downstairs has been rebranded as F.Y.E.  I took the "F.Y.E. Grand Opening!" signs outside rather cynically but was told that the store had in fact been closed presumably permanently prior.

My tradition of buying a half-price calendar was thwarted, as they didn't bother with Century Plaza this year.

I was there with a friend, a Birmingham native who spent huge amounts of childhood time at that mall.  It was he who suggested that it might be the last time I was inside Century Plaza, and I tend to agree.  Aside from a wholesale increase in income levels in surrounding neighborhoods, any store that wanted to be in that mall would be there already.  What can management possibly say to convince me Century Plaza is worth the investment?  The money that supported the mall is gone and now, so, is that mall.  At some point Sears will relocate and the upkeep will become wildly unprofitable.  The site will eventually be bulldozed.

It took five minutes of standing in line at Chick-Fil-A to place our order with one of the three employees on duty.
We were the only customers.

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Do middle-income people shop there?

Very few people seemed to shop there, period, and judging income from the remaining store mix, not many.

[kayman]

Poor management and poor upkeep/security on General Growth Properties part is what killed Century Plaza.  The income level in the surrounding neighborhoods to the South & West are pretty decent such as Eastwood, Crestwood, Altamont, the Highlands, and being very close to Mountain Brook.  Eastlake is also experiencing a turn-around, and it also finally to occuring in Woodlawn and Avondale.  So the income levels of the area is no excuse, it is the management of the mall that is at fault.  

If General Properties had cared to keep the mall competitive instead of as soon as they gain management duties to Riverchase not abandoned CP, it would have redeveloped and became a more contempory center as Brookwood has become.  It seems that GP has a poor track record in the Birmingham area in general because Riverchase is starting to slip because their occupancy rates have dropped in the past year from 96% in 2005 to 93% in 2006.  Also the recent relocations/closings of Suncoast, Kirklands, and the up in the air future of the current Parisian and former McRae's buildings have hurt Riverchase as well.

[davidzLA]

Leonard23, on Feb 7 2007, 09:17 AM, said:

So the income levels of the area is no excuse, it is the management of the mall that is at fault.

There's plenty of monied folks nearby, sure.  But they don't shop at Century Plaza anymore, because the mall clientele is now predominately black, and that's reality whether it be happy or pleasant or pretty.  And the community at large largely shuns shopping centers that have become identifed with a minority.  Not just locally but nationally, so it's hardly a "Birmingham issue."

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If General Properties had cared to keep the mall competitive instead of as soon as they gain management duties to Riverchase not abandoned CP, it would have redeveloped and became a more contempory center as Brookwood has become.

Sorry, can't agree with you there.  All it takes is one look at Eastwood Mall.  Same area, same problems, same trends, (ultimately) same fate - but Eastwood had different management.  If they could project a return on the investment, they would have tried something, but Century Plaza is and was well past that point in my opinion.

It's unfortunate.  So much of my time in Birmingham was tied up in that neighborhood and particularly in that mall.  Nonetheless, I wouldn't invest $5 in Century Plaza and ever expect it back.  Definitely a case of 'pick your battles'... and not that GP really faced a 'choice' (Which mall will get the bedroom in the attic???) but if they did, I'd have made the same choice.

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It seems that GP has a poor track record in the Birmingham area in general because Riverchase is starting to slip because their occupancy rates have dropped in the past year from 96% in 2005 to 93% in 2006.  Also the recent relocations/closings of Suncoast, Kirklands, and the up in the air future of the current Parisian and former McRae's buildings have hurt Riverchase as well.

Not that I owe GP or anything, but c'mon - you know better.  Galleria management has little to zero responsibility for national closures like Suncoast or regional rebrandings like Parisian, and it's not likely they're blocking a resolution of the Pizitz/McRae's space.

[A2]

I know this is a bit off topic, but what was the name of that Indian Guys shop at the bottom of CP, next to the MickeyD's, and by the Fountain???

I spent many a days of my youth in that store. I keep thiniking it was "Journeys", but could be way off. I know that they used to sell DocMartins, which as a punk Kid I just had to have. Not to mention they had the best collection of T's on the Planet (at least if you are into Music).

As for the general topic about CP's decline, all I can say is what a freggin pitty . In its hayday, that Mall was the S*#t!

A2

Edited by A2, 08 February 2007 - 06:43 PM.

[davidzLA]

A2, on Feb 8 2007, 04:39 PM, said:

I know this is a bit off topic, but what was the name of that Indian Guys shop at the bottom of CP, next to the MickeyD's, and by the Fountain???
I spent many a days of my youth in that store. I keep thiniking it was "Journeys", but could be way off. I know that they used to sell DocMartins, which as a punk Kid I just had to have. Not to mention they had the best collection of T's on the Planet (at least if you are into Music).

That would be the India Shoppe, and it's still there, right where you describe it - lower level next to the Sears.  Journeys is a straight-up shoe store and there was a location near the center court for many years, I remember seeing the closed location at Christmas but they may have relocated within the mall.  Years ago, before my time, India Shoppe was in that center court area and after that, downstairs towards the McRae's end.

[3choBoomer]

davidzLA, on Feb 8 2007, 08:31 PM, said:

That would be the India Shoppe, and it's still there, right where you describe it - lower level next to the Sears.  Journeys is a straight-up shoe store and there was a location near the center court for many years, I remember seeing the closed location at Christmas but they may have relocated within the mall.  Years ago, before my time, India Shoppe was in that center court area and after that, downstairs towards the McRae's end.

I think that the India Shop has moved to 5pts South.

At least it stayed in the city  

[davidzLA]

3choBoomer, on Feb 19 2007, 08:44 AM, said:

I think that the India Shop has moved to 5pts South.
At least it stayed in the city

I noticed at Christmas that there was an India Shoppe location on 20th Street I had never seen before - that's a pretty good location for them actually - but at least in December, the store inside Century Plaza was still there and open.

[A2]

3choBoomer, on Feb 19 2007, 11:44 AM, said:

I think that the India Shop has moved to 5pts South.

At least it stayed in the city  

Definatley a solid move, if this in fact the same store. The demographics of 5 Pts totally support this shop's target market. I will have to check it out as soon as I am back in the Ham. Thanks again for the info!

A2

[bhamsly]

What are your thoughts on U-Drift at Century Plaza?

http://www.bizjourna...ml?surround=lfn

I think that this is good for not only the Century Plaza area, but the the entire metro area. This is something unique to most cities, and I hope that we get it. It is something really cool, yet safe since it could reduce street racing.

[kayman]

If it is going to reduce the number of street car racings then I would be all for it.

[Southron]

Century Plaza continues to decline and at least 60 storefronts are empty, with Sears the only anchor left in the mall that now closes at 7 pm.  Redevelopment options are being discussed for the property, which is probably worth far less than the $32 million that Chicago-based General Growth Properties paid for it.  A few months ago Mayor Langford mentioned a city and county partnership to convert it into a senior citizens recreation complex, but there isn't enough support for it on the city council.  Nearby Eastwood Mall was successfully redeveloped into a shopping center and some industry observers believe Century Plaza will eventually meet a similar fate.

Already on the decline, Century Plaza faces tougher times in slumping economy

[mallguy]

Sears is closing.

[bhamsly]

mallguy, on Feb 27 2009, 12:27 PM, said:

Sears is closing.

Well, as I guess some serious proposals could finally come to fruition about what to do at that property since the mall should be closing very soon...can you say mixed-used a la SoHo Homewood? I will surely miss that place. It was sooo good at one point. It is really sad that the city will not have a mall anymore(as most major cities have at least one-I assume). I guess if you count The Summit, we do have a mall, just not an enclosed. I really hope that the mixed-used idea comes back up, and the property to be changed into something like that. I would love to see some medium-sized towers in that area too. Perhaps the mall site could be changed into a office park. I guess time will only tell.

[kayman]

Well, I see the faux crime problems (note that there hasn't been any actual documented homicides that occurred at Century Plaza, but Riverchase has seen 2), along with piss-poor management of General Growth (who abandoned the mall when it got half stake in Riverchase), and other regional centers have all contributed to its demise.  Well, all we can hope that a major redevelopment towards mixed-used is in the works for that Eastwood/Crestwood shopping district.

The only thing in the works at the moment for the Century Plaza area is the ALDI being constructed on the old empty parking lot adjacent to the Sears Auto Center.

[bhamsly]

It really sad that CP had now closed...it will truly be missed. I think this topic should be changed to something along the lines of, "Redevelopment purposes for the former Century Plaza or the CP lot." Perhaps we should just allow this thread to die, and just start a new one.

[bhamsly]

I wonder what Simon is planning to do with the Century Plaza property. Simon has very good properties all over, so without a doubt they will do something great with CP.

http://birmingham.bi...ml?surround=lfn

[mallguy]

Simon has also had some distressed shopping centers- Biltmore Square in Asheville, NC and Raleigh Springs in Memphis.  It sold them off to other owners.

[Tourian]

How sad. This was my favorite mall growing up. Crestwood and Oporto-Madrid used to be such a busy intersection around Christmas time.