Mountain Brook Mayor Graham Smith said she expects movement on the Brookwood Village development as city officials plan to meet with developers in the next few weeks
Brookwood Village, a 750,754 square-foot former shopping mall located on the border between Mountain Brook and Homewood, has been empty after a slow decline over the years.
But recently, there are talks of bringing business back.
“I do think the project is beginning to ramp up again, and I believe that city councilors and mayors will begin meeting with the developers in the next few weeks,” Smith told AL.com.
Brookwood Mall opened in 1974 serving the surrounding wealthy communities.
It was once bustling with customers buying from Gus Mayer Clothing, Oshman’s Sporting Goods, Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor, Aladdin’s Castle, and the first Chick-fil-A in Alabama.
The opening of The Summit in 1997, didn’t help Brookwood’s case but in 2001, the mall was renovated, adding stores and restaurants that opened to the street.
But those stores started to close.
In 2022, the Brookwood Macy’s closed their doors. And in 2024, Five Guys, the village’s last tenant, shuttered.
Today, Brookwood Village sits empty.
In December 2024, Homewood and Mountain Brook approved an agreement to work together on Brookwood’s future.
The cities are working to convert the former Belk store into a $124 million, 135,000-square-foot orthopedic clinic, Andrews Sports Medicine. The first step at reviving the area.
Work on the sports medicine facility is expected to begin in April.
Smith said they are still working to secure a certificate of need from the state.
Even with Andrews, there is still much space to fill before Brookwood makes a full comeback.
“There’s a very large amount of space that still needs to be considered. That’s just one piece of the larger puzzle,” Smith said.
“We hope to continue work with the county and Homewood in a positive way to make sure the development is reflective of an overall vision that supports all three jurisdictions.”
Otherwise, there hasn’t been much movement on Brookwood Village’s development and no say when doors will open, according to the city of Mountain Brook and Homewood officials.
“We do not have substantive updates of this moment. However, I anticipate movement in the very near future,” Smith said.
“It is definitely going to be a couple of years since we haven’t even seen the plans or begun to negotiate those. We’ve got a ways to go on this one.”
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