Residents Worry About More Vacancies at Brookwood Mall
Between the soon-to-be-shuttered Belk department store and the food court, which is the midpoint of the mall, I counted a dozen empty shops at Brookwood Village.
Another five dot the other half of the mall — the area between the food court and Macy’s. This means roughly a third of the shops inside Brookwood Mall are vacant. A few stores were occupied but closed for reasons that were unclear. So it’s no wonder the announcement that Belk will close this January has residents of Homewood concerned for the future of this property.
“The neighborhood is really kind of nervous that this will just turn into an empty mall like Eastwood or Century Plaza where you have all this real estate and nothings in it,” says Julie Tucker, who lives near Brookwood Mall.
Brookwood representatives say they knew about Belk’s decision to close the store before the start of a multi-phase development plan, including a $20 million renovation. Officials say redevelopment of the Belk store is the second phase of that plan, which they say will be announced soon. Tucker says residents would like to see another department store, or even furniture giant IKEA move into the space, but “I don’t know if they would come here if there isn’t anything in the middle,” Tucker says. “So it’s kind of like a chicken or an egg. It’s like they’re not going to bring anchor stores if there are no stores in the middle, and then no stores in the middle can come if there’s no anchor stores.”
The popularity and convenience of online shopping has delivered the biggest blow to brick and mortar malls, and Brookwood Village, like many others, has struggled to compete. Officials with the mall did not respond to requests for an interview. Still, many people want instant satisfaction when they shop. They want to be able to walk away with that new pair of shoes. For Belk lovers, the company says its four other nearby stores are still open for business.
Republicans say Clintons risk contempt of Congress for not testifying on Epstein
House Republicans are seeking testimony as part of their investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Clintons say they've already provided in writing what little they know.
FTC accuses AI search engine of ‘rampant consumer deception’
Federal officials say a company that operates hundreds of landing pages for AI answers is running an operation that has duped thousands of users, who were unable to stop costly monthly charges.
‘My role was making movies that mattered,’ says Jodie Foster, as ‘Taxi Driver’ turns 50
Foster was just 12 years old when she starred in the 1976 film. "What luck to have been part of that, our golden age of cinema in the '70s," she says. Her latest film is Vie Privée (A Private Life).
Supreme Court appears likely to uphold state bans on transgender athletes
To date, 27 states have enacted laws barring transgender participation in sports.
Keep an eye out for these new books from big names in January
The new year begins with a host of promising titles from George Saunders, Julian Barnes, Jennette McCurdy, Karl Ove Knausgaard and more. Here's a look ahead at what's publishing this month.
Want to play a Tiny Desk concert? The 2026 Contest is now open for entries
The 2026 Tiny Desk Contest, our annual search for the next great undiscovered artist, is now officially open for entries.
