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, which was 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