Parkway Place
An enclosed regional shopping mall in Huntsville, Alabama, anchored by Dillard's and Belk.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Parkway Place is an enclosed shopping mall in Huntsville, Alabama. It opened on October 16, 2002, after replacing Parkway City Mall, an earlier enclosed center on the same site. The property is owned by CBL & Associates Properties, Inc., now generally known as CBL Properties, and serves shoppers in Huntsville and the wider North Alabama market. The mall contains approximately 643,135 square feet of retail space and about 70 inline stores. Its principal department-store anchors are Dillard's and Belk. Belk occupies the former Parisian anchor location, which was enlarged during a redevelopment project that began in 2007. The mall also includes a food court with seating for approximately 400 people and more than 2,800 free parking spaces, including parking in a deck. Parkway Place was designed as a replacement and modernization project for Parkway City Mall. The older property had lost tenants and faced further pressure after Montgomery Ward closed its retail stores nationwide in 2001. Redevelopment plans were initiated in 1998, and the existing mall was demolished and rebuilt in stages. The staged construction was intended to preserve Piccadilly Cafeteria, one of the important businesses remaining during the transition. The site's retail history extends back to 1957, when Parkway Shopping Center opened as an open-air strip center. It was expanded with additional stores in 1959. Arlen Real Estate acquired the property in 1974; that company later became associated with CBL. A tornado damaged the south end of the center in the same year. The complex reopened in February 1976 as Parkway City Mall, a single-level enclosed mall with Pizitz, Montgomery Ward, and Parisian as its original anchor tenants. Parkway City Mall had roughly 467,000 square feet of retail space and was expanded in 1984 and 1994. Although Parkway City had once been Huntsville's largest shopping center, its competitive position changed after Madison Square Mall opened in 1984. By the late 1990s, declining store occupancy and anchor changes encouraged a more comprehensive replacement rather than another limited renovation. Parkway Place opened in 2002 as a newer-format enclosed mall and remains described as Huntsville's only indoor shopping mall. Its tenant mix has included nationally recognized apparel, specialty, children's, and lifestyle retailers, as well as several stores regarded as distinctive within the Huntsville market, including Torrid, Build-A-Bear Workshop, American Eagle and Aerie, and Chico's.
History
Parkway Place occupies a site with a shopping history dating to 1957, when Parkway Shopping Center opened in Huntsville as an open-air strip mall. Seven additional stores were added two years later, establishing the property as a local retail destination. In 1974, Arlen Real Estate acquired the center. A tornado damaged the southern end of the complex that year, prompting reconstruction and a broader repositioning of the property. The site reopened in February 1976 as Parkway City Mall, a single-level enclosed shopping center. Its initial anchor lineup included Pizitz, Montgomery Ward, and Parisian. The mall provided approximately 467,000 square feet of retail space and later received expansions in 1984 and 1994. Arlen Real Estate subsequently became associated with CBL, the company that ultimately owned the modern Parkway Place property. Parkway City was once Huntsville's largest shopping center, but its market position changed when Madison Square Mall opened in 1984. By the late 1990s, Parkway City was losing stores, and its aging format faced additional pressure from anchor disruption. Redevelopment planning began in 1998. Montgomery Ward's decision to close all of its retail stores in 2001 removed one of Parkway City's three principal anchors and added urgency to the replacement project. Rather than simply renovate the existing structure, the owners demolished Parkway City Mall and developed a new enclosed center in stages. The construction sequence was arranged to protect Piccadilly Cafeteria, which was one of the major businesses still operating during the demolition and rebuilding process. Parkway Place opened on October 16, 2002, with approximately 643,135 square feet of retail space, around 70 inline stores, and Dillard's and Parisian as its principal anchors. A later anchor transition occurred after Belk acquired the Parisian chain. Expansion work at Parkway Place began in January 2007 to enlarge the space occupied by Parisian. The store became Belk on September 12, 2007, giving the mall its current two-department-store anchor configuration alongside Dillard's. The completed mall has more than 2,800 free parking spaces, including a parking deck, and a food court with seating for approximately 400 people. Its tenants have included national apparel, specialty, children's, and lifestyle retailers. The property has been identified as the only indoor shopping mall in Huntsville and continues to function as a regional retail center for the city and surrounding North Alabama communities.
- 2007
Parisian location becomes Belk
[1]An anchor-space expansion begins in January, and the former Parisian store is renamed Belk on September 12.
- 2002
Parkway Place opens
[1]The new mall opens on October 16 after Parkway City Mall is demolished and replaced in stages.
- 2001
Montgomery Ward closes its retail stores
[1]Montgomery Ward's nationwide retail shutdown removes one of Parkway City Mall's three anchor tenants.
- 1998
Replacement redevelopment is planned
[1]Plans begin to redevelop the aging and increasingly under-occupied Parkway City Mall site.
- 1994
Further Parkway City expansion
[1]A second documented expansion is completed at the predecessor mall.
- 1984
Parkway City Mall is expanded
[1]The enclosed mall receives an expansion as Huntsville's retail market grows.
- 1976
Parkway City Mall reopens
[1]The site reopens in February as a single-level enclosed mall anchored by Pizitz, Montgomery Ward, and Parisian.
- 1974
Arlen Real Estate acquires the property
[1]Arlen Real Estate acquires the shopping center; a tornado also damages its southern section.
- 1959
Initial expansion adds stores
[1]Seven additional stores are added to the original strip-center development.
- 1957
Parkway Shopping Center opens
[1]The original open-air Parkway Shopping Center begins operating in Huntsville.
Products and positioning
Regional enclosed shopping mall serving Huntsville and North Alabama, combining two department-store anchors with specialty retail, food-court services, and family-oriented shopping experiences.
Department store anchor · 2002
Dillard's
Dillard's is one of Parkway Place's two principal department-store anchors. Its approximately 181,028-square-foot location provides broad department-store merchandise and serves as a major destination within the mall's tenant and circulation plan.
Department store anchor · 2007
Belk
Belk occupies the former Parisian anchor location. The space was enlarged during a Parkway Place expansion that began in 2007, and the store adopted the Belk name on September 12 of that year. The approximately 188,150-square-foot anchor broadens the mall's department-store offering.
Specialty retail · 2002
Specialty retail tenant mix
Parkway Place has hosted a range of national specialty retailers across apparel, accessories, children's products, and lifestyle categories. Stores identified as distinctive in the Huntsville market have included Torrid, Build-A-Bear Workshop, American Eagle and Aerie, and Chico's.
Shopping-center services · 2002
Food court and mall services
The property supplements retail stores with a food court seating approximately 400 people, free customer parking, and more than 2,800 parking spaces including a parking deck. These services support longer visits and family-oriented shopping trips.
Brand decisions
2007
Convert the Parisian anchor to BelkGeneration changeBackground
Parisian's ownership and brand transition created an opportunity to reposition the anchor space under the Belk name.
Action taken
Expansion work began in January to enlarge the anchor location, which was converted from Parisian and renamed Belk on September 12.
Aftermath
Belk became one of Parkway Place's two principal department-store anchors alongside Dillard's.
1998
Replace Parkway City Mall with a new enclosed centerStrategyBackground
The predecessor mall was losing stores and had become less competitive within Huntsville's changing retail market. A major redevelopment was selected instead of relying solely on incremental renovations.
Action taken
Plans were initiated to demolish Parkway City Mall and construct Parkway Place in stages, while protecting Piccadilly Cafeteria during the transition.
Aftermath
Parkway Place opened in 2002 with a larger footprint and a new anchor and specialty-retail configuration.
Recent events
- 2007
Belk replaces Parisian as an anchor[1]
M&A · Product generation
Expansion work began in January to enlarge the former Parisian anchor space. Parisian was converted and renamed as a Belk store on September 12.
- 2002
Parkway Place opens in Huntsville[1]
Other
The replacement enclosed mall opened on October 16, following the staged demolition of Parkway City Mall and construction of the new center.
Sources2 sources
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