Mobile Festival Centre

Mobile Festival Centre is a shopping center in Mobile, Alabama, positioned at the intersection of Airport Boulevard and Montlimar Drive. The approximately 72-acre complex was developed by Montgomery-based CF Halstead and Associates and designed by Architecture Plus of Monroe, Louisiana. It opened in November 1986 with roughly 500,000 square feet of retail space, making it one of the larger early examples of the power-center format in the Southeastern United States. The project combined the scale and tenant mix of a regional shopping destination with elements more commonly associated with enclosed malls. A horseshoe-shaped layout connected individual stores with a blue metal canopy walkway that provided weather protection. The center also incorporated a food court with more than 400 seats, including indoor and open-air seating, casual dining venues, a landscaped plaza intended for civic events and other public activities, and a Cinemark Movies 10 discount multiplex. Its initial tenant roster included several nationally recognized retailers that were new or relatively new to the Mobile market. These included the first Wal-Mart Discount City department store within Mobile city limits, Circuit City, Phar-Mor, Sugar's, Marshall's, Ross Dress For Less, and Welcome, an unconventional supermarket warehouse format operated by Kroger. The center's original concept was affected by changes in local retail development. New strip centers and competing regional shopping destinations reduced the distinctiveness of the power-center format, while several important tenants closed, relocated, or were replaced. Walmart ultimately moved to a nearby supercenter built on part of the former Springdale Mall expansion site. Cinemark closed the Movies 10 complex, and Welcome ceased operations in August 1995 after its acquisition by the Delchamps supermarket chain. Delchamps later developed a flagship store at nearby McGregor Square. Other occupants also changed during the 1990s; for example, EB Games and Guitar Center subsequently opened at the center. Kimco Realty Corporation, a New York-based shopping-center owner and operator, previously owned Mobile Festival Centre. In May 2013, the property was sold to Mobile Festival Acquisition LLC. Later tenant information identifies Academy Sports + Outdoors, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Guitar Center, and a range of service, food, beauty, insurance, education, and flooring businesses at the complex, alongside several vacant large-format spaces. The center therefore continues to function as a multi-tenant retail property, although its tenant composition and occupancy have evolved substantially from the 1986 opening configuration.

Mobile Festival Centre was conceived during the expansion of the power-center format in the United States. CF Halstead and Associates, based in Montgomery, Alabama, developed the project, while Architecture Plus of Monroe, Louisiana, provided the design. The 72-acre site occupies a prominent position at Airport Boulevard and Montlimar Drive in Mobile. When the center opened in November 1986, it contained approximately 500,000 square feet of retail space and was regarded as one of the largest power-center developments in the Southeastern United States. Its design blended open-air retailing with several features associated with enclosed shopping malls. The roughly horseshoe-shaped complex used a blue metal canopy to link stores and protect shoppers from rain and sun. An indoor and open-air food court provided more than 400 seats, and casual restaurants operated nearby. A landscaped plaza served as a visual and civic focal point and was intended to accommodate public functions and other festivities. The entertainment component included Cinemark's Movies 10 discount multiplex. The initial tenant mix emphasized national chains and unusual retail formats. The center hosted the first Wal-Mart Discount City department store within Mobile's city limits, as well as Circuit City, Phar-Mor, Sugar's, Marshall's, Ross Dress For Less, and Welcome, a Kroger-associated supermarket warehouse concept. The strategy was to use high-profile anchor tenants to draw customers to smaller inline stores and establish the development as a major shopping destination. During the 1990s, the center encountered increasing competition from newly developed strip malls and changing regional retail patterns. Walmart left the property in favor of a nearby supercenter constructed on part of the site associated with Springdale Mall's uncompleted north-wing expansion. Cinemark also closed its Movies 10 theaters. Welcome shut down in August 1995 after Delchamps acquired the operation; Delchamps later developed a flagship store at nearby McGregor Square. Numerous other tenants either closed or relocated, and vacancy became a recurring feature of the complex. At the same time, new occupants such as EB Games and Guitar Center appeared, demonstrating the center's continuing tenant turnover. Kimco Realty Corporation, a New York-based real-estate company, owned the property before selling it to Mobile Festival Acquisition LLC in May 2013. Later listings describe a more varied tenant base, including Academy Sports + Outdoors, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Guitar Center, LL Flooring, Palm Beach Tan, Elysian Nail Lounge, Salons by JC, Sport Clips, Subway, Alfa Insurance, Safety Plus, TruBridge, and ACCEL Academy. The listed anchor and large-format spaces also include several vacancies. Mobile Festival Centre consequently remains an operating shopping complex, but its role has shifted from a pioneering large power center with department-store and entertainment anchors to a locally serving multi-tenant retail and services destination.

• 2013

  Ownership changes

  [1]Mobile Festival Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Kimco Realty sold the shopping center to Mobile Festival Acquisition LLC in May.

• 1995

  Welcome supermarket closes

  [1]Mobile Festival Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The Welcome supermarket operation closed in August following its acquisition by Delchamps.

• 1986

  Mobile Festival Centre opens

  [1]Mobile Festival Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The approximately 500,000-square-foot complex opened in November on a 72-acre site at Airport Boulevard and Montlimar Drive.

A regional open-air power center serving Mobile-area consumers through large-format retail, specialty stores, food, entertainment, and services.

• Sporting-goods anchor

  Academy Sports + Outdoors

  A large-format sporting-goods and outdoor retailer offering athletic equipment, apparel, footwear, hunting and fishing supplies, camping products, and related recreational merchandise. At Mobile Festival Centre it occupies one of the identified major retail spaces.

• Crafts and fabric retail

  Jo-Ann Fabrics

  A specialty store focused on fabrics, sewing materials, yarn, crafts, seasonal projects, and related home-making supplies. The listed store occupies a substantial space within the center and adds a specialty-shopping component to its large-format retail mix.

• Musical-instrument retail

  Guitar Center

  A specialty music retailer selling guitars, keyboards, drums, recording equipment, accessories, and related musical products. Guitar Center is one of the longer-running specialty tenants associated with the property, having opened after some of the original occupants had departed.

• Food, personal services, and local services

  Food and service tenants

  The center's later tenant mix includes food outlets such as Subway and Feast Buffet, beauty and grooming businesses including Elysian Nail Lounge, Palm Beach Tan, Salons by JC, and Sport Clips, plus insurance, education, and other service providers. These occupants broaden the property beyond traditional merchandise retail.

• 2013

  Sale to Mobile Festival Acquisition LLCM&A

  Background

  Kimco Realty Corporation previously owned the shopping center as part of its real-estate portfolio.

  Action taken

  Kimco Realty sold Mobile Festival Centre to Mobile Festival Acquisition LLC in May.

  Aftermath

  The property continued operating as a multi-tenant shopping center under its subsequent ownership.

  Source

• 1986

  Launch of a large hybrid power-center formatStrategy

  Background

  The development was introduced when large open-air power centers were emerging as a significant retail format in the Southeastern United States.

  Action taken

  The project combined national large-format anchors with inline stores, a covered pedestrian walkway, food-court seating, a public plaza, restaurants, and a discount cinema.

  Aftermath

  The format initially created a major shopping destination, but later faced competition from new strip malls and other regional retail developments.

  Development cost. $40 million (1986 opening)

  Source

• 2013

  Mobile Festival Centre sold to Mobile Festival Acquisition LLC[1]Mobile Festival Centreen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Kimco Realty Corporation sold the shopping center to Mobile Festival Acquisition LLC in May.

• 1995

  Welcome supermarket closes after Delchamps acquisition[1]Mobile Festival Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The Welcome supermarket format at Mobile Festival Centre shut down in August after the business was acquired by Delchamps.

• 1986

  Mobile Festival Centre opens as a major power-center development[1]Mobile Festival Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The shopping complex opened in November with approximately 500,000 square feet of space, a broad national-retailer tenant mix, a food court, landscaped public areas, and a discount cinema.

1. 1Mobile Festival Centreen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Kimco Realty property referencekimcorealty.com