Century Plaza

[mallguy]

Is this mall dying or is there a chance to save it? Poor thing; its entry on deadmalls.com was sad yet hilarious.

[EvanK]

Is this mall dying or is there a chance to save it? Poor thing; its entry on deadmalls.com was sad yet hilarious.

It's dead to a lot of people, myself included, even if it isn't dead officially. I was in there just this past Christmas, and it was a joke. This was a week before Christmas, and you could have thrown a rock across the center court and not hit a single person. It was sad.

Not to mention the fact it had a spooky feeling to it. Maybe once WalMart opens across the road it could help, but I won't go back. Thugs hanging out in the parking lot, thugs hanging out inside. No thanks.

[kayman]

Century Plaza is not a dead as people preceive. It will be revived with Wal-Mart opening up across the street from it. Most likely it would be back at it point of greatness like it was before, but it will survive. General Growth will most likely gut the center and reopen it as an open-air center. When I when visited the mall about 4 weeks ago there was no "thugs" standing in the parking lot. A matter of a fact the only thing that was the parking lot was cars, and this was 4:30PM. I hate how people preceive how a place is when it not as unsafe as shopping in the suburbs. It more unsafe to shop at Riverchase Galleria in Hoover than it is to shop at Century Plaza. At least CP hasn't had 2 murders and numerous robberies that has occured in recent years at the Galleria. It unsafe to shop anywhere nowadays.

[mallguy]

Is this accurate? This made me laugh so hard!

http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/century_plaza.html

[EvanK]

Century Plaza is not a dead as people preceive. It will be revived with Wal-Mart opening up across the street from it. Most likely it would be back at it point of greatness like it was before, but it will survive. General Growth will most likely gut the center and reopen it as an open-air center. When I when visited the mall about 4 weeks ago there was no "thugs" standing in the parking lot. A matter of a fact the only thing that was the parking lot was cars, and this was 4:30PM. I hate how people preceive how a place is when it not as unsafe as shopping in the suburbs. It more unsafe to shop at Riverchase Galleria in Hoover than it is to shop at Century Plaza. At least CP hasn't had 2 murders and numerous robberies that has occured in recent years at the Galleria. It unsafe to shop anywhere nowadays.

That is true indeed, but CP creeped me out big time. I won't go back anytime soon for sure. Haven't been to the Galleria in years because I can't tolerate the traffic. I am not hoping for CP's demise, I have good memories of the place from when I was little, but the CP of today is not the CP of yesterday. I hope it can be again, but it isn't yet, and for most people, there is little reason to go there anymore.

[StevenRocks]

I have a friend in Birmingham that has never been to Century Plaza because of what he's heard in the media.

[mallguy]

So it's like an Eastland Mall in Charlotte!

I sent one of my best friends, who loves stores such as Neiman Marcus, to Century Plaza; he shops only at high-end malls and said Century Plaza was horrible.

[StevenRocks]

If your friend's into high end malls, he won't like Century Plaza at all, but it's not actually that bad from what I can tell; kind of like Eastland Mall, like you said.

[Blazer85]

I've been to Century Plaza a number of times. It's not my favorite BHM Metro mall, but it's certainly not as bad as it's made out to be.

[kayman]

Guess what? Belk and JCPenney (most likely in the anticipation of the store opening at Colonial Pinnacle at Tutwiler Farms) are closing at the mall. Both stores will be closed by the first of August. I guess the ignorant ***holes got their way by badmouthing it and finally drove the mall into the ground. ***HINT*** the mall is less than 2 miles from a majority black neighborhoods Eastlake & Woodlawn, so you know it is some form of de facto racism/classism involved in the BS. The killing thing is the mall is also less than 5 miles from 2 wealth upper income areas as well such as Mtn. Brook and Crestline/Highland Park. It is pathetic that people believe that mall is so bad when it probably 3x more safe than Riverchase.

[StevenRocks]

^ Could you link to the info on the Belk and JCPenney closings. I can't find it online.

[kayman]

^ Could you link to the info on the Belk and JCPenney closings. I can't find it online.

There is no links on the internet, but rather 2 separate ads in today's Birmingham News in big bold letters saying STORE CLOSING, CENTURY PLAZA LOCATION ONLY for both department stores. There will probably be an article in either Birmingham Business Journal or the Birmingham News this week on the store closing and then I will link it.

[StevenRocks]

That's horrible. Will the mall have any anchors left? Sears maybe?

[mallguy]

Yikes- but I'd say a 1-anchor mall cannot survive very long, unless that new Wal-Mart brings in lots of shoppers who then go to Sears. Time for redevelopment?

[TRoberts]

I think the question also must be asked "How long can/will Sears & Kmart survive across the street from each other?" Everyone knows they've started combining their lines into each others stores and there will get a point where the only true difference will probably be Kmart's Food & Garden Department.

[mallguy]

Raleigh Springs Mall in Memphis has just one department store anchor- a Sears- and three vacant anchors. It seems to have a decent amount of stores left in it. Perhaps this mall could be a model for Century Plaza? Other 1-anchor malls I'm familiar with (Greenville Mall and McAlister Square in SC) have died.

http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?ID=199

[StevenRocks]

How and why does Sears always stick around in dying malls?

[mallguy]

How and why does Sears always stick around in dying malls?

Maybe its customer base doesn't cross-shop other department stores much so losing them doesn't really matter. For example, if I want a new shirt and tie, I'll go to multiple department stores because they all sell shirts and ties and so I can make the best choice among all of the products I see. Sears, on the other hand, is usually the sole (department) store in a mall that sells hardware, auto stuff, gym equipment, etc. So someone who is looking for a dishwasher or something will still go to the mall that has only a Sears even if there are no other stores in it.

Maybe that analysis is completely off base; the Sears at Eastland in Charlotte is absolutely horrid and always seems empty or nearly empty. Maybe the chain just has bad management.

[Blazer85]

Some of you apparently had not heard, but Century Plaza was already slated to be revived by KPS (same firm that revived Brookwood Mall). Here's a story about the planned revival of Century Plaza in today's Birmingham News: http://www.al.com/business/birminghamnews/....xml&coll=2

[StevenRocks]

Maybe its customer base doesn't cross-shop other department stores much so losing them doesn't really matter. For example, if I want a new shirt and tie, I'll go to multiple department stores because they all sell shirts and ties and so I can make the best choice among all of the products I see. Sears, on the other hand, is usually the sole (department) store in a mall that sells hardware, auto stuff, gym equipment, etc. So someone who is looking for a dishwasher or something will still go to the mall that has only a Sears even if there are no other stores in it.

Maybe that analysis is completely off base; the Sears at Eastland in Charlotte is absolutely horrid and always seems empty or nearly empty. Maybe the chain just has bad management.

You're right. they do have a following. I never figured out why they went to mall stores anyway. The freestanding Sears were very lucrative for them back in the day. But this isn't really related to the subject at hand as much

[mallguy]

Still, I don't see a 1-anchor "bad mall in the wrong part of town," as my friend described it, lasting too long. The article about Century Plaza's redevelopment is very interesting; thanks for posting. However, I've seen too many articles that sound really upbeat when a mall's anchors leave- from the typical "we currently are working with lots of new upscale anchors" to "we are renovating" to "we're so excited about the prospects for our mall" that seem to be standard press releases when a mall is on death's door. (A faux Main Street leading from a nearly-vacant mall to a vacant Toys-R-Us site? I wouldn't locate there.) Until I see leases inked with new anchors, I'd think that perhaps Century Plaza will last maybe a few years more and then will be turned into cheap office space, a school, a flea market, a strip center, etc. or will be demolished.

[StevenRocks]

The smart money's on eventual demolition. It's too much mall for that corridor if the anchors leave.

[Blazer85]

Nope... you guys really dont understand. KPS is the group planning the redevelopment. They're a great firm and transformed Brookwood Mall from a dying mall to one of the most popular malls for the wealthy in Birmingham. This isnt just a "maybe" type of thing. It's definite... just a matter of ironing out the final plans.

[kayman]

Nope... you guys really dont understand. KPS is the group planning the redevelopment. They're a great firm and transformed Brookwood Mall from a dying mall to one of the most popular malls for the wealthy in Birmingham. This isnt just a "maybe" type of thing. It's definite... just a matter of ironing out the final plans.

Very true. Brookwood Village has turned around big time since its 2-year redevelopment back in '01. It is now the most upscale mall in the region if not the state. It wouldn't surprise me if the planned expansion includes more upscale stores.

[mallguy]

Very true. Brookwood Village has turned around big time since its 2-year redevelopment back in '01. It is now the most upscale mall in the region if not the state. It wouldn't surprise me if the planned expansion includes more upscale stores.

That's good to hear about Brookwood's redevelopers; perhaps there is hope for Century Plaza. My view of malls is that as long as there are people with at least some disposable income nearby, and as long as the customer base is well-matched to the stores in the mall, the mall will do OK. This article seems to have some mixed messages, describing the Eastwood area as becoming "obsolete" but offering some home of successful redevelopment:

http://www.southeastrebusiness.com/article...highlight2.html