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This photo from the 1970s displays the lively interior of Brookwood Village. There were telephone booths and benches for shoppers to use in between the stores. They could also stop by the Pizitz food court. Photo courtsey of al.com.
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Photo by Erin Nelson. Starnes Media
Brookwood Village Mall
Brookwood Village has numerous vacant retail spaces on Monday, Sept. 1, 2020. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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This photo from 1977 shows the exterior of Brookwood Village. From this point on the road, drivers could easily see the sign for Pizitz food hall. Photo courtsey of the Birmingham News.
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In 1999, Cooper Carry Inc. proposed a renovation plan to Brookwood Village. This included the addition of an outdoor "streetscape" with outdoor-facing restaurants and shops. The construction of a pedestrian bridge and a terrace for eating also appealed to visitors. Photo coursey of Design Alabama.
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An artist's rendering of the plans for Brookwood Village appeared in the Birmingham News in March 1974. When it opened in August of 1974, the building included a two theatres, department and drug stores, a supermarket, and service businesses. Photo courtesy of the Birmingham News.
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Illustration courtesy of Homewood City Councilor Jennifer Andress’ newsletter
Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center proposal
Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center has proposed a plan to renovate and convert the former Belk department store building in Brookwood Village into a roughly 135,000-square-foot medical office.
After years of anticipation, Brookwood Village will finally see movement on new development, with plans for Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Centers to move into the old Belk building. While the establishment first opened as a hub for shoppers and retailers, Brookwood Village found itself compromised by an epidemic of American mall failure.
Will Brookwood Village fulfill its promise from the 1977 slogan, “It’s everything you want it to be”? Some area residents have expressed dismay at the new proposals. With a visual timeline spanning the opening of Brookwood Village in 1974 to its abandonment in 2022, we explore how the mall’s development attempted to satisfy the community's needs for 50 years.