By 1959, North Alabama's first shopping center was being promoted as PARKWAY CITY CENTER. Between June and October, five new inline stores were added. These were located in a mid-center arcade, known as The Concourse.

Graphic from Madison, Incorporated

As part of the addition, a bona fide anchor store was built at PARKWAY CITY. Montgomery Ward, dedicated in August 1959, encompassed over 76,000 square feet. It was the Chicago-based chain's 522nd location.

Drawing from Montgomery Ward & Company

The new Wards was followed by a Birmingham-based Pizitz, which was dedicated in October 1963. This store, the fourth unit in the chain, encompassed 2 levels and 75,000 square feet. Its most notable feature was an escalator; the first in the Rocket City. 

Advert from Pizitz, Incorporated

By late 1963, the South Side shopping complex sported two anchor department stores, two 5 & 10's, two supermarkets and twenty-four other inline stores and services. It encompassed around 256,900 leasable square feet.

PARKWAY CITY CENTER TENANTS 1963:

MONTGOMERY WARD (with Snack Bar and freestanding Wards Auto Center) / PIZITZ (with Beauty Salon and Madison Room restaurant) / G.C. MURPHY 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / McCRORY-McLELLAN'S 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / KWIK CHEK supermarket / NATIONAL STORES supermarket / Andan, Incorporated / Baxter's men's wear / Bill's Men's Wear / Burgreen's Cafeteria / Commercial Credit Corporation / Diana Shops ladies' wear / E & B Barbers / Fluff Dry Wash-teria / H & H Walgreen Drug (with luncheonette) / Harold's ladies' wear / Hornbuckle's Record Shop / House of Beauty salon / Hutchens Company hardware & housewares / Johnny Evans / Mason's Jewelry / Parkway City Shoe Shop / Peggy Ann Bakery / Redstone Credit Union / Shainberg's clothing & housewares / Southern Shoe Store / State Farm Insurance / Thom McAn Shoes / Universal Photo Shop / Valley Cleaners