Retrofit Atlas

Malls · Alabama

McFarland Mall

Imported, unreviewedRedevelopedDemolishedTuscaloosa, AL

McFarland Mall opened 1969, lost anchors, phased demolition 2014‑2025, now fully demolished; owner Stan Pate eyes mixed‑use redevelopment in Tuscaloosa · summary, model-written

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McFarland Mall
Interior view of an empty shopping mall with a glass ceiling and scattered furniture. · verified by a vision model. Photo: Mike Kalasnik from Charlotte, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Site profile17 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence

Former anchors
Dillard'sThis site: Dillard's wikipedia · all sites with this
WoolcoThis site: Woolco wikipedia · all sites with this
ZayreThis site: Zayre wikipedia · all sites with this
Finance and pipeline
On FacebookThis site: …https://www.facebook.com/120449171334326 overture · all sites with this
Website aliveThis site: …http://www.mcfarlandmall.com overture / http check · all sites with this
Place
15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)This site: 6/6 openstreetmap · all sites with this
30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent roadThis site: 65,697 on Skyland Blvd E fhwa-hpms · all sites with this
Bike network nearbyThis site: 15 ways openstreetmap · all sites with this
Fast-growing county (8%+ 2018–23)This site: 13% census-acs · all sites with this
Grocery within 800 mThis site: 4 stores openstreetmap · all sites with this
Interstate or freeway within 600 mThis site: Skyland Blvd E fhwa-hpms · all sites with this
Opportunity ZoneThis site: 01125012303 hud-oz · all sites with this
Renter-majority tractThis site: 50% census-acs · all sites with this
Strategy
RedevelopedThis site: extraction · all sites with this
New use
HotelThis site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this
Mixed useThis site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this
Retail (continued)This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

StatusDemolishedextracted, unreviewed
documented
with the building being demolished the following month.

en.wikipedia.org

StrategyRedevelopedextracted, unreviewed
documented
In December 2012, Stan Pate announced development plans to start sometime in 2013. Under these plans, most of the mall would have been demolished, including the former Dillard's building.

en.wikipedia.org

New usesretail, hotel, mixedextracted, unreviewed reported
DeveloperStan Pateextracted, unreviewed

History and original facts

Opened1969Wikidata reported
Closed2025extracted, unreviewed
documented
Dollar Tree, the last operating business in McFarland Mall, closed in July 2025, with the building being demolished the following month.

en.wikipedia.org

Stores at peak40extracted, unreviewed reported
Original developerWard Wharton McFarland and James Hintonextracted, unreviewed
documented
The center was originally developed at an estimated $4.5 million by Ward Wharton McFarland and James Hinton.

en.wikipedia.org

ArchitectBrandon Crawford and Associates of Birmingham
AnchorsWoolco, Zayre, T.J. Maxx, Dillard's, Goody's Family Clothing, Gayfers, Winn-Dixie
CountyTuscaloosa County
Census division6 · East South Central
NotesWikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States

Not yet recorded: acres, GLA, what is there now, retrofit year. Know it? Tell us.

Planning

No zoning change, subsidy or policy tool recorded for this site.

Site context

Transit within 800 mno rail stationOpenStreetMap
Motorway junctions within 2 km73OpenStreetMap
FEMA flood zoneno NFHL polygon at point (unmapped or outside coverage)FEMA NFHL
EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m14: ADOT IM 0591 207; CHEDDAR'S CASUAL CAFE; ENCORE TUSCALOOSA, LLC; HARPER CHAMBERS; IM-NH-I059(399) PS 1839EPA FRS
Census tract 011250123071,651 people, 1,738 per sq mi; median household income $51,142; median gross rent $1,115; 50% renters; 16.7% vacant units; 0.0% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year
Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m)6 of 6 daily needs: 4 grocers, 5 schools, 5 parks or playgrounds, 4 health, 1 civic, 24 food and drink; 15 cycleway segments, 0 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap
Opportunity Zoneyes, tract 01125012303 (rural)HUD
Housing permits, Tuscaloosa County (AL), 202469 units in 5+ unit buildings, 52 in 2–4, 510 single-family; 2023: 61 in 5+Census BPS
Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract)overall percentile 0.28; socioeconomic 0.57; housing and transport 0.06; 42% below 150% of poverty; 0% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR
Overture Mapsplace McFarland Mall (shopping_mall, confidence 0.92, from Foursquare, Overture, Overture-signals); building footprint 4,982 m², 4.552338123321533 mOverture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0)
Website and socialwww.mcfarlandmall.com (alive) · social: facebookOverture / Internet Archive
Attention: Wikipedia page views36,620 since 2015; 2,753 in the last 12 months (-4% vs the prior 12); peak 2022-04 with 894Wikimedia
Tract change 2013–2023tract boundary changed between the 2010 and 2020 census; no 2013 comparisonCensus ACS
Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract)very low overall (score 10.9); expected annual loss $483,830; community resilience relatively highFEMA NRI
Tax-credit housing within 1 km1 LIHTC properties, 152 units: Forrester Gardens (152 units)HUD LIHTC
Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW)10,893 jobs in 764 establishments; average annual pay $36,180; employment location quotient 1.12; employment +0.6% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private
Jobs located in the tract, 2022711 jobs; 307 in retail trade, 4 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 01125012307)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022
Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract)children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 38th income percentile as adults; 1.9% incarcerated at the 2010 count (537 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights
Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract)low-access at 1 mile, not low-income; 20% of residents more than 1 mile from a supermarket; poverty rate 18.9%; median family income $68,529; 415 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS
SchoolsTuscaloosa City School District (PK-12); 1 public school within 1 mile: Skyland Elementary SchoolNCES EDGE
Elevation260 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP
Storm events in the county, 2016-2025135 county-logged events: 74 thunderstorm wind, 22 hail, 21 tornado, 14 flash flood; $3,353,000 property damage reported; 6 direct deaths; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events
Homes for sale in ZIP 35405, 2026-09median list price $284,450 (+2.2% on the year); 151 active listings; median 65 days on market; 19% with a price cutRealtor.com Research
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023696 establishments (-5%); 10,074 jobs (+2%)Census CBP
Housing market in the countytypical home value $249,799 (+1% 1 yr, +16% 5 yr); typical rent $1,679/mo (+4% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024)65,697 vehicles a day on Skyland Blvd E (Interstate, 6 lanes); 20,366 trucks; 37 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS

Summary, model-written

Opened in 1969 as a 497,000‑square‑foot L‑shaped mall with 40 stores, anchored by Gayfers and later Dillard's. Over time anchors left (Woolco/Zayre, T.J. Maxx) and demolition began on Dillard's in 2014, continued on the former Chili's in 2020, finishing with Dollar Tree's closure and building demolition in 2025. The site is now fully demolished.

Why. Anchor tenant losses and the subsequent phased demolition led to the mall's closure; competition and debt are not stated in the record.

Where it stands. The mall is currently demolished and under the control of Stan Pate, who owned it from 2009 to present.

For a planner

  • Redevelopment strategy noted with planned new uses of retail, hotel, and mixed‑use.
  • No explicit policy tools or zoning changes recorded; entitlement status unclear.
  • Open questions include required environmental review, floodplain status, transit access, and community approval processes.

For a developer

  • Site size: 497,000 sq ft L‑shaped parcel.
  • Controlled by owner Stan Pate (since 2009); no co‑owners listed.
  • Entitlement stage: strategy lists redevelop; specific permits or approvals not detailed in record.
  • No recorded flood, transit, or environmental constraints in the context layers.
  • Market signals: opp_score 55, opp_reasons cite county growth 13.5% (2018‑23) and housing presence, indicating moderate opportunity.

What we do not know yet

  • Exact reasons for anchor loss (competition, debt, management) not stated in record.
  • Current zoning, land‑use entitlements, and any pending permits are unknown.
  • Environmental constraints (floodplain, wetlands, contamination) are not recorded.
  • Transit access and infrastructure capacity are not described.
  • Data verification status is draft; some fields are model‑extracted and unreviewed.

Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.

Similar sites

  • Cache Valley Mall, Logan, UT · Malls · opened 1976; closed 2024; same strategy: redevelop
  • Chesterfield Mall, Chesterfield, MO · Malls · opened 1976; closed 2024; same strategy: redevelop
  • DeSoto Square Mall, South Bradenton, FL · Malls · opened 1973; closed 2021; same strategy: redevelop
  • Eastfield Mall, Springfield, MA · Malls · opened 1967; closed 2023; same strategy: redevelop

Elsewhere on the web

Retail history: McFarland Mall on DeadMalls.com photos, field notes and visitor memories since 2000; matched by name and city; nothing copied here

Pages with photos

Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar

Multifamily screen

  • closed or demolished site (sourced)
  • county grew 13.5% 2018–23
  • housing in the record

Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.

Background

McFarland Mall was a regional 497,000-square-foot (46,200 m2) L-shaped shopping mall on Skyland Boulevard in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Located near the interchange of Interstate 20/59 with McFarland Boulevard, it was in the southern section of the city. Opening on February 19, 1969, the mall replaced Woods Square Shopping Center and Leland Shopping Center as the main commercial retail center in the Tuscaloosa area. Brandon Crawford and Associates of Birmingham was the architect for the mall. General contractor for the project was N.C. Morgan Construction Company of Tuscaloosa. McGiffert and Associates of Tuscaloosa provided the engineering services for the mall.

Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.

Timeline

  1. 1969 Opened (Wikidata)
  2. 1969 Mall opened
  3. 1975 Gayfers added second floor
  4. 1980 Renovations added food court and Goody's anchor
  5. 1983 Woolco closed, replaced by Zayre
  6. 1998 Gayfers acquired by Dillard's
  7. 2009 Stan Pate purchased mall
  8. 2014 Demolition commenced on Dillard's anchor store
  9. 2016 T.J. Maxx left the mall
  10. 2020 Demolition restarted on former Chili's
  11. 2025 Dollar Tree closed and building demolished

Sources

  • Wikipedia: McFarland Mall · supports: original developer, status, strategy, year closed
    14 quoted sentences
    Dollar Tree, the last operating business in McFarland Mall, closed in July 2025, with the building being demolished the following month.
    The center was originally developed at an estimated $4.5 million by Ward Wharton McFarland and James Hinton.
    with the building being demolished the following month.
    In December 2012, Stan Pate announced development plans to start sometime in 2013. Under these plans, most of the mall would have been demolished, including the former Dillard's building.

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