Colonial Brookwood Village
A former shopping mall in the Mountain Brook and Homewood communities near Birmingham, Alabama.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Colonial Brookwood Village, generally known as Brookwood Village, was a regional shopping mall situated on the boundary of Mountain Brook and Homewood near Birmingham, Alabama. The complex occupied approximately 750,754 square feet and served the Birmingham metropolitan area from its opening in 1973 until its closure to the public in the early 2020s. Although it was principally a retail property rather than a conventional consumer brand, the center developed a recognizable identity through its department-store anchors, specialty shops, restaurants, pedestrian spaces, and later office uses. The property was originally developed by the Shepherd family as Brookwood Mall. Its initial anchors were Pizitz and Rich's. The building was designed by Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects and received a design award from Shopping Center World Magazine in 1973. Its original interior was organized around a large skylit atrium containing a fountain with tree-like sprayers. The fountain produced mist and ambient sound, making the atrium a distinctive architectural feature. Because the site was adjacent to a stream bed with weak soil, the mall's foundation used deep piles extending to underlying rock strata. During a late-1980s interior renovation, the fountain was covered and the central area was converted into a platform for dining and special events. The project also introduced new lighting, escalators, flooring, and upgraded storefronts. During this period, the Pizitz location became McRae's. In 1997, Colonial Properties acquired the mall for $35 million and renamed it Colonial Brookwood Village. The new owner soon undertook a major redevelopment, completed in 2001, that sought to change the property from a conventional enclosed mall into a mixed indoor-outdoor destination. The redevelopment added a two-story atrium, an upper-level food court, and a new front entrance oriented toward an outdoor shopping street. The design drew on the lifestyle-center format, with outdoor tenant entrances, limited parallel parking, valet service, landscaped public areas, and a pedestrian bridge over Shades Creek. The outdoor street connected with a longer walking trail along the creek. The parking system was also reorganized by linking the east and west two-level decks with the central ground-level area beneath the mall. A nine-story office tower, later known as Colonial Center, expanded the site beyond retail and accommodated Colonial Properties' corporate headquarters, professional offices, and additional retail space. Anchor changes reflected the broader consolidation of American department-store retail. Rich's became Macy's in 2005, while McRae's became Parisian and then Belk in 2007. Belk announced in 2017 that it would close its store, which shut in January 2018. In August 2021, Fairway Investments and Atlanta-based Pope & Land Real Estate acquired the property. Macy's announced in January 2022 that it would close its Brookwood Village location, leaving its Riverchase Galleria store as its only Alabama location. The remaining tenants departed soon afterward, and the mall closed to the public. In 2024, the Homewood Planning Commission approved a preliminary plan to divide the site into three lots, including renovation of the former Belk portion as a medical office building. The mall's retail operation is therefore defunct, although the property remains subject to redevelopment planning.
History
Brookwood Village began as Brookwood Mall in 1973, when the Shepherd family developed the property near Birmingham, Alabama. The mall was built across portions of Mountain Brook and Homewood. Giattina Fisher Aycock Architects designed the original building, which received a design award from Shopping Center World Magazine in its opening year. Pizitz and Rich's served as the original department-store anchors. The site's location beside a stream bed created significant engineering requirements. Because the soil was weak, the mall's foundation was supported by deep piles bearing on rock strata. Architecturally, the original center was notable for a large skylit central atrium. A fountain containing tree-like sprayers produced mist and a continuous background sound, creating a distinctive interior environment for shoppers. A late-1980s renovation altered the atrium by covering the fountain and creating a platform for dining and special events. The same remodeling program installed new lighting, escalators, and flooring and upgraded many storefronts. During this period, the Pizitz anchor was converted to McRae's. Colonial Properties purchased the mall in 1997 for $35 million and renamed it Colonial Brookwood Village. The owner then pursued an extensive redevelopment costing approximately $50 million. Completed in 2001, the project repositioned the property as a more open and lifestyle-oriented destination. It added a two-story atrium with an upper-level food court, a new principal entrance, and an outdoor shopping street. The street included exterior entrances for some tenants, limited parallel parking, and a valet area. A pedestrian bridge crossed Shades Creek, and a shared terrace served two anchor restaurants. The outdoor improvements connected to a walking trail following Shades Creek. The redevelopment also reorganized the mall's parking areas. Ramps connected the east and west two-level parking decks with the central ground-level parking area beneath the mall. Decorative building facades were added to the exterior walls of the decks. Street-Works developed the urban-design concept, HKW Architects served as architect of record, Gar Muse of Cooper Carry contributed interior and overall design work, and Brasfield & Gorrie served as general contractor. Colonial Properties expanded the site with a nine-story office tower on the mall's western side. The building housed the owner's corporate headquarters and added office and retail space. In 2006, plans described a 160,000-square-foot tower with approximately 13,000 square feet of ground-floor specialty retail and a covered connection to the Belk store. Johnston Barton Proctor & Powell announced plans to occupy approximately 40,000 square feet, while Colonial Properties planned to consolidate about 150 Birmingham-area employees there. In 2014, Surgical Care Affiliates announced that it would move into the tower. The retail component subsequently weakened as department-store operators changed or withdrew. Rich's became Macy's in 2005, marking Macy's third entry into the Birmingham market. McRae's became Parisian and then Belk in 2007. Belk announced in July 2017 that it would close its location in January 2018. In August 2021, Fairway Investments and Pope & Land Real Estate acquired Brookwood Village, but redevelopment plans were not immediately announced. Macy's announced on January 5, 2022, that it would close its Brookwood Village store. The closure left Macy's Riverchase Galleria location as the company's only store in Alabama. The few remaining tenants closed shortly afterward, and the mall was closed to the public. In 2024, the Homewood Planning Commission approved a preliminary plan to divide the property into three lots. The former Belk portion was proposed for renovation as a medical office building, indicating a possible transition from enclosed retail toward medical, office, and other redevelopment uses.
- 2024
Preliminary site redevelopment plan approved
[1]Homewood's Planning Commission approves a preliminary plan to split the site into three lots, including a proposed medical-office conversion of the former Belk portion.
- 2022
Macy's closes and the mall shuts
[1]Macy's announces the closure of its store, and the remaining tenants depart soon afterward. The mall closes to the public.
- 2021
Property changes ownership
[1]Fairway Investments and Pope & Land Real Estate purchase Brookwood Village.
- 2017
Belk announces closure
[1]Belk announces that its Brookwood Village store will close in January 2018.
- 2007
McRae's successor becomes Belk
[1]The former McRae's location, after becoming Parisian, is converted to Belk.
- 2006
Colonial Center office-tower plans advance
[1]Plans are presented for a nine-story, 160,000-square-foot office building adjacent to the mall and Belk.
- 2005
Rich's becomes Macy's
[1]The Rich's anchor is converted to Macy's.
- 2001
Major indoor-outdoor redevelopment is completed
[1]A large renovation adds a two-story atrium, food court, outdoor shopping street, pedestrian bridge, redesigned parking connections, and other lifestyle-center features.
- 1997
Colonial Properties acquires and renames the mall
[1]Colonial Properties purchases the property for $35 million and adopts the Colonial Brookwood Village name.
- 1973
Brookwood Mall opens
[1]The Shepherd family develops and opens Brookwood Mall with Pizitz and Rich's as its original department-store anchors.
Products and positioning
A regional shopping center that evolved from a traditional enclosed mall into an indoor-outdoor lifestyle-oriented retail and office property serving the Birmingham metropolitan area.
Department stores · 1973
Department-store anchors
Brookwood Village's principal retail offer was organized around department-store anchors. The original anchors were Pizitz and Rich's. Pizitz later became McRae's, then Parisian, and ultimately Belk; Rich's became Macy's in 2005. These stores provided broad apparel, home, beauty, and general-merchandise assortments typical of regional malls, although the specific merchandise mix changed with each operator.
Shopping mall specialty stores · 1973
Specialty retail
The mall accommodated smaller specialty retailers within its enclosed corridors and, after the 2001 redevelopment, along an outdoor shopping street. The available reference material does not identify a complete tenant roster, but the format supported apparel, accessories, gifts, services, and other consumer categories typically found in a regional shopping center.
Food service · 1980
Dining and food court
Dining was part of the property's repositioning. The late-1980s renovation converted the former fountain area into a dining and special-events platform, while the 2001 redevelopment added an upper-level food court and outdoor areas, including a shared terrace serving two anchor restaurants.
Office and mixed-use space · 2006
Colonial Center
Colonial Center was a nine-story office tower developed beside the mall. It was intended to house Colonial Properties' corporate headquarters while adding professional office and ground-floor specialty retail space. The tower broadened the property beyond enclosed retail and later accommodated professional-services and healthcare-related office users.
Brand decisions
2024
Preliminary subdivision and medical-office redevelopment planStrategyBackground
The former mall site required a new use after the retail complex closed.
Action taken
The Homewood Planning Commission approved a preliminary plan to divide the site into three lots and renovate the former Belk portion as a medical office building.
Aftermath
The action established a preliminary framework for redevelopment, although the cited material does not provide a completed project timetable.
2022
Macy's closes the remaining major retail anchorStrategyBackground
After Belk's departure, Macy's was the property's most prominent remaining department-store anchor.
Action taken
Macy's announced on January 5, 2022, that it would close its Brookwood Village location.
Aftermath
The remaining tenants closed shortly afterward, and the mall was no longer open to the public.
2021
Fairway Investments and Pope & Land purchase the propertyM&ABackground
The mall had experienced anchor-store departures and declining occupancy before the ownership change.
Action taken
Fairway Investments and Pope & Land Real Estate acquired Brookwood Village.
Aftermath
The cited material does not identify an immediate redevelopment program, but later planning activity focused on dividing and repurposing the site.
2017
Belk exits the propertyStrategyBackground
Belk was one of the mall's principal remaining department-store anchors.
Action taken
Belk announced that its Brookwood Village store would close in January 2018.
Aftermath
The departure removed a major anchor and contributed to the property's subsequent decline as a traditional retail center.
2005
Rich's anchor transitions to Macy'sGeneration changeBackground
Department-store consolidation changed the identity of the mall's original Rich's anchor.
Action taken
The Rich's store was converted to Macy's on March 6, 2005.
Aftermath
Macy's continued operating at the property until announcing its closure in 2022.
2001
Conversion toward an indoor-outdoor lifestyle-center formatStrategyBackground
Colonial Properties sought to modernize an interior-facing mall and make the property more attractive as a mixed retail, dining, and pedestrian destination.
Action taken
The redevelopment added a new atrium and food court, an outdoor shopping street, a pedestrian bridge, restaurant terrace space, exterior tenant entrances, and connected parking areas.
Aftermath
The property emerged as a hybrid enclosed mall and lifestyle-oriented center, with additional office development later added to the site.
Redevelopment investment. $50 million (Redevelopment completed in 2001)
1997
Colonial Properties acquires Brookwood MallM&ABackground
The property was acquired as a conventional regional mall operated under the Brookwood Mall name.
Action taken
Colonial Properties purchased the mall and renamed it Colonial Brookwood Village.
Aftermath
The acquisition was followed by a major repositioning and redevelopment completed in 2001.
Acquisition price. $35 million (1997 acquisition)
Sources2 sources
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