Photo by Savannah Schmidt
The former Belk store at Brookwood VIllage mall in Homewood, Alabama stands vacant on De. 20, 2024. Andrews Sports Medicine has proposed a plan for a new expansion at the site of the old store.
With recent action on the Homewood side of Brookwood Village, it seems the vacant property is on the verge of revitalization. But what will it take for the once-thriving complex to bring back business?
From a developer’s perspective, the property will most likely be brought back to life through a multi-use facility.
Photo courtesy of Five Stone Group
David Silverstein Sr., of the Five Stone Group, developed The Summit, along with his development partner Jeffery Bayer, of Bayer Ventures, developed The Summit, a 1 million square foot upscale lifestyle center located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 280 and Interstate 459 in Birmingham. The open-air shopping center was opened in October of 1997, over 20 years after Brookwood Village.
“If you look at what's going on nationally with many malls facing similar challenges as Brookwood, they are focusing on true mixed-use projects,” said David Silverstein Sr. of the Five Stone Group. “I have not seen the plans specifically for Brookwood, but what I've heard is that they would like to have a mixed-use project that blends residential with office and some retail. I think that's probably the future for the mall—somewhat of a mixed-use project—simply because that’s what’s happening in other cities as well. It’s wonderful real estate in terms of its location, being in close proximity to a higher-end suburban market. It certainly should have a positive future if they can meet the challenges that such a development represents.”
Silverstein and his development partner, Jeffrey Bayer of Bayer Ventures, developed The Summit, a 1-million-square-foot upscale lifestyle center located at the intersection of U.S. 280 and Interstate 459 in Birmingham. The open-air shopping center opened in October 1997, more than 20 years after Brookwood Village, yet it continues to thrive while Brookwood sits empty.
“Primarily, Brookwood was impacted negatively by the fact that, when 459 was built, The Summit became a true regional location,” Silverstein said. “It became more difficult for Brookwood to compete to attract higher-end fashion retailers. If a retailer is going to have one store in the area, most likely they would prefer to be at a regional location rather than traveling inboard to where Brookwood is located.
Photo courtesy of Brookwood Village
This photo depicts the developers of Brookwood Village working on plans for the grounds in the 1970s. They wanted to create a space where families and adults could create memories and socialize with one another.
“When Brookwood was built, it was a terrific mall. It’s a wonderful piece of real estate nestled against Mountain Brook and Homewood, with terrific demographics all around it. But it became out-positioned from a transportation standpoint as The Summit became the regional destination. That doesn’t mean Brookwood didn’t have opportunities for additional retail, but I think it just became very difficult to compete with the type of retail we had and what they were trying to attract.”
Silverstein also noted that the public-private partnership between the city of Birmingham and then-Mayor Richard Arrington Jr. was essential in the creation and success of The Summit. He said a similar partnership between Brookwood and its municipalities could help revitalize the property.
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
The sign for Brookwood Village, a former buzzing shopping mall in Homewood, Alabama, stands nearly blank on Dec. 20, 2024.
Now, Andrews Sports Medicine has become the first sign of life returning to the space as the practice plans to move into the former Belk building.
Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center has proposed a plan to renovate and convert the Belk building into a roughly 135,000-square-foot medical office. The Homewood Planning Commission recommended approval of the proposal during a meeting on Nov. 5.
This marks the first major action toward revitalizing the shopping center since its last anchor store, Macy’s, closed in January 2022.
“Andrews is a great addition to Homewood,” said Ward 5 Councilor Jennifer Andress. “They’re a long-time, quality medical provider. We will be honored and thrilled to have them here if they get approved for their project. We’d certainly love having them in Homewood.”
Andrews Sports Medicine has a reputation for excellence in orthopedic care, sports medicine, research, education, and prevention. Their current headquarters is located at 805 St. Vincent’s Drive, Suite 100, in Birmingham. The practice is also affiliated with several local high schools, including Homewood, Mountain Brook, Hoover, Oak Mountain, Spain Park, and Vestavia Hills.
The 57 acres that make up Brookwood Village are owned by Fairway Investments and Pope & Land Real Estate. The property is divided among Jefferson County and the municipalities of Homewood and Mountain Brook.
“That piece of property is a really big part of Ward 5,” Andress said. “I use it regularly, going between the two trails, and it’s very important to me. One of the reasons I ran for City Council was to connect this neighborhood to the trail, and we did that through a crosswalk in front of the Marriott and another crosswalk near Windsor Drive in front of Macy’s. That’s how important this property is to the neighborhood.”
In the Nov. 5 meeting, the Planning Commission approved an amendment to Andrews’ final development plan and a resurvey subdividing the 14-acre property into three separate lots.
Representatives from Andrews Sports Medicine and Fairway Investments were present at the meeting to present their plans. Four local residents spoke, expressing concerns and requesting that the commission consider retail businesses or a multi-use facility focused on entertainment, hospitality, and recreation for the remaining land.
“We see this [Andrews Sports Medicine proposal] as an exciting opportunity to kickstart one of the greatest redevelopment opportunities in our state,” said Paul Darden of Fairway Investments. “It’s a chance to reimagine what the future of Brookwood can be.”
With the proposal cleared by the Planning Commission, it was initially added to the Homewood City Council agenda for Nov. 18 but was later deferred to the Planning and Development Committee meeting scheduled for
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Nov. 25. After further review, the council planned to hold a public hearing in December. Developers asked the council to hold the plan for additional review, and a public hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Representatives for Andrews told the Planning Commission they hope to break ground on the new facility in the first quarter of 2025.
If the council approves the development, the remaining land at Brookwood Village will still include portions owned by Homewood, Mountain Brook, and Jefferson County.
To ensure collaboration, both Homewood and Mountain Brook city councils have passed resolutions to execute an intergovernmental cooperative agreement regarding Brookwood Village’s redevelopment. The agreement requires both cities to consider the best interests of their communities in making decisions. Mountain Brook’s council approved the resolution on Dec. 9, while Homewood’s council approved it on Dec. 16.
