BEL AIR MALL

Airport and Bel Air Boulevards 

Mobile, Alabama

The Azalea City's first fully-enclosed shopping center was built on a 99-acre parcel, located 4 miles west of the center city. The complex, designed by Washington, DC's Herbert H. Johnson & Associates, was developed by a joint venture of Kenneth R. Giddens, William Lyon, Jay Altmayer and the Mobile-based Mitchell Company. 

 

On August 16, 1967, BEL AIR MALL was officially dedicated. The complex had been named due to its location at the intersection of the Beltline Highway (Interstate 65) and Airport Boulevard. Inside the mall, a 900-foot-long shopping concourse was decorated with nine Grecian statues. These had been cast -in 1850- for the grounds of Greater Paris' Palace of Versailles. 

 

In its original state, BEL AIR MALL encompassed approximately 514,600 leasable square feet, with its anchor stores being a 1-level (104,400 square foot), Mobile-based Hammel's and 1-level (142,800 square foot) Sears. Charter tenants included Lerner Shops, Goldstein's Jewelers, Singer Sewing Center, Piccadilly Cafeteria, Dipper Dan Ice Cream Shoppe and a (52,000 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10. 

 

There were originally four freestanding structures in the periphery of the mall. The Giddens & Rester Cinema was built as a western outparcel. It showed a first feature on April 5, 1967. A Convenience Center in the east parking area housed a (14,300 square foot) Winn-Dixie supermarket. There were also Hammel's and Sears auto centers.

 

The shopping center was located across Airport Boulevard from SPRINGDALE PLAZA, which had opened in 1959. This open-air strip complex was renovated into the enclosed SPRINGDALE MALL in 1973-1974. As a keeping up measure, a 409,200 square foot South Wing was added to BEL AIR MALL. It featured a 2-level (191,000 square foot) J.C. Penney, which opened for business on September 19, 1974.

This project included a new second level for the Hammel's store, which had been rebranded by New Orleans-based D.H. Holmes in 1973. This location now encompassed 208,900 square feet, with the mall now housing approximately 1,028,250 leasable square feet. BEL AIR MALL was now Alabama's largest shopping center, a distinction held until the completion of Birmingham's RIVERCHASE GALLERIA, in February 1986.

Birmingham-based Parisian built a 1-level (90,000 square foot) store at BEL AIR MALL, which was completed in February 1984. This was part of a 127,000 square foot South Wing expansion, which included a 10-bay Food Court. Some of its vendors were Sbarro the Italian Eatery, The Cracked Crab, Satay Club Oriental Food and the Peanut Shack. 

A minor competitor came on the scene soon after. MOBILE FESTIVAL CENTRE {.6 mile west, in Mobile} was one of -if not- the first power centers in the Southeast. It was dedicated in the autumn of 1986. In 1989, the Hammel's-Holmes store was rebranded by Little Rock-based Dillard's. The following year, the mall was given a major face lift, with new signage, exterior landscaping, exterior facades and entrances installed.

A third expansion was undertaken in 1995. As a part of this 40 million dollar project, the Food Court was demolished, along with six inline store spaces. These were replaced by a 1-level (116,000 square foot) Target, which held its grand opening on July 28, 1996. Parisian expanded into adjacent mall area, taking out twenty inline tenants. This store now encompassed 126,000 square feet. Sears received a second level and new exterior, with the store now covering 232,800 square feet. The Dillard's building was also renovated. The massive mall refurbishment was completed in November 1997.

Birmingham-based Colonial Properties Trust entered into a joint venture with New York City-based Prudential Real Estate Investors and acquired BEL AIR MALL in December 1998. The complex was renamed COLONIAL MALL BEL AIR in the summer of the year 2000. In November 2005, a 90 percent share in COLONIAL MALL BEL AIR was sold to a joint venture of Australia's GPT Group and Babcock & Brown. 

The complex received minor damage from Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. It re-opened in just 3 days. Within 10 days, the mall was enjoying a massive surge of business, as there were no other large shopping centers open along the devastated coastline.

In 2007, the official name of COLONIAL BEL AIR MALL reverted back to BEL AIR MALL. Parisian was rebranded by Charlotte-based Belk on September 12th. In November 2008, Los Angeles-based Forever 21 dedicated a (26,200 square foot) XXI Forever store in a portion of the Woolworth space, which had been vacated in July 1997.

In May 2014, BEL AIR MALL became a holding of New York City-based Rouse Properties. The shopping facility now spanned 1,345,000 leasable square feet and contained over 130 stores and services. Sears closed for good in September 2015. Belk renovated the building and relocated from their existing BEL AIR MALL store. The new Belk was dedicated on October 12, 2016.

An "interior cosmetic revamp" was performed between January and November 2016. At the same time, an exterior-entranced Streetscape and new Main Entrance were installed along the north-facing front of the complex. As part of these renovations, the mall's name was changed to THE SHOPPES AT BEL AIR. Rouse Properties, and its portfolio of thirty-five shopping malls, was sold in July 2016. The buyer was Toronto's Brookfield Asset Management.

The first two Streetscape tenants opened in the following year. P.F. Chang's China Bistro was dedicated on February 13, 2017, with Grimaldi's Coal-Brick Oven Pizzeria welcoming first diners on February 20th. Unfortunately, Grimaldi's, P.F. Chang's and Texas de Brazil had all been shuttered by November 2020. 

 

At this time, the mall changed hands. Great Neck, New York's Kohan Retail Investment Group became its new proprietor. Soon after, a new tenant was found for the original Belk building. Surge Entertainment by Drew Brees featured bowling lanes, sports simulators, laser tag, a video game arcade and snack bar. The facility opened for business on June 15, 2023. 

 

Ownership of the mall changed in March 2024, with Hollywood, Florida's 4th Dimension Properties becoming the new proprietor.  J.C. Penney shuttered their 50-year-old BEL AIR store on September 22, 2024. At the same time, vacant Streetscape spaces were being filled. The Yummy Boba Tea, Bakery & Milk Shake Bar assumed the vacant Grimaldi's space. The Olive Grill retenanted Texas de Brazil, while Tao Hot Pot & BBQ leased P.F. Chang's empty storefront.

Sources:

The Mobile Press-Register

Business Wire, November 29, 2005

http://www.nreionline.com / National Real Estate Investor

http://www.colonialproperties.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

http://www.joneslanglasalle.com

http://www.bizjournals.com

https://www.theshoppesatbelair.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)

https://shoppesatbelair.com

https://www.mallscenters.com

 https://www.fox10tv.com

 https://4d-properties.com / 4th Dimension Properties

Comments by Joey M. and "DewN Nitek"

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