Auburn Mall

Auburn Mall is a regional shopping center in Auburn, Alabama, serving the Auburn–Opelika area. The property opened in 1973 as Village Mall and was developed by Colonial Properties Trust. Its original configuration included Sears at the western end and Gayfers at the eastern end, establishing the center as a conventional enclosed mall anchored by department stores. Over time, the property expanded to accommodate additional anchors and a broader mix of specialty retailers. The mall underwent a major repositioning in the early 2000s. A 2004 renovation and expansion added new buildings for JCPenney and Dillard's, brought Belk into the market, and introduced a village-style streetscape along the front of the property. The streetscape was designed to complement the enclosed mall with a more open retail environment and included retailers such as Ann Taylor Loft, Chico's, Coldwater Creek, Jos. A. Bank, Lane Bryant, and Talbots. The project reportedly added more than 250 jobs to the local market. During this period, the property used the name Colonial University Village, following an earlier renaming to Colonial Mall Auburn-Opelika in 1998. Ownership and management arrangements changed after Colonial University Village and five other Colonial properties were acquired through a joint venture involving Marelda Retail Development, LLC. Jones Lang LaSalle became the management and leasing contractor for the properties in 2007. The center later reverted to the Village Mall name before adopting its current Auburn Mall identity in 2014. Like many traditional department-store malls, Auburn Mall experienced anchor-store turnover in the 2010s. Sears closed its location in December 2012. JCPenney announced in March 2017 that its Auburn store would close as part of a nationwide reduction, and the store shut on July 31, 2017. Stein Mart was announced as a prospective replacement for the former Sears space in 2017, but Stein Mart subsequently announced in 2020 that it would close all of its stores. The former JCPenney space was later planned for conversion into a mall entrance and smaller retail units. In 2021, B. Turner's Clothing Company opened in the redeveloped former Stein Mart area, which was divided into space for multiple retailers. The mall combines traditional enclosed shopping with its village-streetscape component. Its tenant mix has included national apparel, specialty, financial-services, sporting-goods, and department-store businesses. Reference material identifies Belk, Dillard's, and B. Turner's Clothing Company among its principal retail occupants, alongside more than 50 specialty stores at the time described. The property has approximately 527,000 square feet of gross leasable area. Its present role is that of a community and regional retail destination rather than an internationally recognized consumer brand.

Auburn Mall began operations in 1973 under the name Village Mall. Colonial Properties Trust developed the center in Auburn, Alabama, with Sears and Gayfers serving as the initial department-store anchors. The property was conceived as a regional shopping destination for Auburn and nearby Opelika, using the enclosed-mall format that was then expanding throughout the United States. It later grew to include additional anchor capacity and a larger selection of specialty retailers. In 1998, the center was renamed Colonial Mall Auburn-Opelika. Its most substantial physical transformation occurred in 2004, when the mall received a major renovation and expansion. The work included new JCPenney and Dillard's buildings, the relocation of Belk into the local market, and the addition of a front-facing streetscape. This streetscape gave the property an open, village-oriented retail component alongside the enclosed mall and was intended to diversify the shopping experience. Retailers associated with the expanded area included Ann Taylor Loft, Chico's, Coldwater Creek, Jos. A. Bank, Lane Bryant, and Talbots. The expansion was reported to have created more than 250 jobs in the local market. The property was also renamed Colonial University Village during this period. Colonial University Village was subsequently acquired together with five other Colonial properties through a joint venture involving Marelda Retail Development, LLC. In 2007, Jones Lang LaSalle became the management and leasing contractor for the property group. The mall later used the Village Mall name again and was renamed Auburn Mall in 2014, the name associated with the current Wikipedia subject. Anchor changes became increasingly important to the mall's later history. Sears, one of the original anchors, closed in December 2012. Stein Mart was announced in March 2017 as the intended occupant of the former Sears space. JCPenney announced that same year that its Auburn store would close under a national program affecting 138 locations; the store ceased operations on July 31, 2017. In April 2020, the former JCPenney building was designated for conversion into a mall entrance and smaller retail spaces. Stein Mart announced in August 2020 that it would close all of its stores, creating another vacancy and requiring further tenant repositioning. The former Stein Mart area was subsequently redeveloped into space for multiple retailers. In 2021, B. Turner's Clothing Company became the first store to open in the reworked area. The mall's documented tenant mix has included Belk, Dillard's, B. Turner's Clothing Company, Ann Taylor Loft, JoS. A. Bank, Talbots, Chico's, and Hibbett Sports, among other specialty stores. The property measures approximately 527,000 square feet of gross leasable area and combines conventional indoor mall circulation with its village-style streetscape. Its history reflects the broader evolution of regional malls: expansion and format diversification in the 2000s, followed by department-store closures, space subdivision, and efforts to maintain a viable mix of smaller retailers.

• 2021

  B. Turner's Clothing Company opens

  [1]Auburn Mall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  B. Turner's Clothing Company becomes the first store to open in the redeveloped former Stein Mart area.

• 2020

  Former anchor spaces targeted for redevelopment

  [1]Auburn Mall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  The former JCPenney space is planned for conversion into an entrance and smaller stores, while Stein Mart announces the closure of all its locations.

• 2017

  JCPenney closes

  [1]Auburn Mall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  JCPenney's Auburn Mall location closes on July 31 after the company announces a nationwide store-reduction program.

• 2014

  Mall renamed Auburn Mall

  [1]Auburn Mall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  The property adopts the Auburn Mall name.

• 2012

  Sears closes

  [1]Auburn Mall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  The original Sears anchor closes in December.

• 2007

  Jones Lang LaSalle takes over management and leasing

  [1]Auburn Mall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  Jones Lang LaSalle becomes the management and leasing contractor for the property and other assets in the associated portfolio.

• 2004

  Major renovation and expansion

  [1]Auburn Mall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  The mall adds new JCPenney and Dillard's buildings, introduces Belk, and develops a village-style streetscape with additional specialty retailers.

• 1998

  Property renamed Colonial Mall Auburn-Opelika

  [1]Auburn Mall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  The shopping center adopts the Colonial Mall Auburn-Opelika name.

• 1973

  Village Mall opens

  [1]Auburn Mall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org

  Colonial Properties Trust opens the property as Village Mall, anchored initially by Sears and Gayfers.

Auburn Mall is positioned as a regional retail destination combining a traditional enclosed shopping mall with a village-style streetscape and a broad department-store and specialty-retail tenant mix.

• Shopping center · 1973

  Enclosed regional shopping mall

  The core offering is a regional enclosed shopping environment of approximately 527,000 square feet of gross leasable area. It provides space for department stores, specialty retailers, apparel businesses, sporting-goods merchants, and consumer services serving Auburn and the surrounding area.

• Open-air retail area · 2004

  Village-style streetscape

  Added during the 2004 expansion, the streetscape supplements the enclosed mall with a more open, village-oriented retail format. It was designed to accommodate specialty apparel and lifestyle retailers and to give the property a differentiated physical identity.

• Retail leasing · 1973

  Department-store and specialty retail tenancy

  Auburn Mall's commercial proposition is built around leasing to department stores and specialty retailers. Documented occupants have included Belk, Dillard's, B. Turner's Clothing Company, Ann Taylor Loft, JoS. A. Bank, Talbots, Chico's, and Hibbett Sports.

• 2021

  Open the first retailer in the redeveloped Stein Mart areaProduct launch

  Background

  Stein Mart's nationwide closure announcement left its former Auburn Mall area available for redevelopment.

  Action taken

  B. Turner's Clothing Company opened as the first retailer in the subdivided and redeveloped space.

  Aftermath

  The opening provided a new apparel tenant while the former department-store area was repositioned for multiple retailers.

  Source

• 2020

  Redevelop former JCPenney spaceStrategy

  Background

  The former JCPenney anchor remained vacant after the store closed in 2017.

  Action taken

  Plans were announced to convert the building into a mall entrance and smaller retail units.

  Aftermath

  The decision represented a shift from a single large anchor toward subdivided space and greater tenant diversification.

  Source

• 2004

  Add a village-style streetscapeStrategy

  Background

  The renovation sought to expand the mall's retail offer beyond the conventional enclosed format and attract additional specialty tenants.

  Action taken

  The owner added a streetscape along the front of the mall and expanded the property with new department-store buildings and specialty retail space.

  Aftermath

  The project broadened the center's physical format and was reported to have added more than 250 jobs to the local market.

  Source

1. 1Auburn Mall (Alabama)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Auburn Mall official websiteshopvillagemall.com