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McFarland Mall was a regional L-shaped shopping mall on Skyland Boulevard ( U.S. Route 11) in
Tuscaloosa, Alabama Tuscaloosa ( ) is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west-central Alabama, United States, on the Black Warrior River where the Gulf Coastal and Piedmont plains meet. Alabama's fifth-largest city, it had an estimated population of 1 ...
. Located near the interchange of
Interstate 20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with Interstate 10, I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with Interstate 95, I-95 in Flo ...
/ 59 with McFarland Boulevard (
U.S. Route 82 U.S. Route 82 (US 82) is an east–west United States highway in the Southern United States. Created on July 1, 1931 across central Mississippi and southern Arkansas, US 82 eventually became a 1,625-mile (2,615 km) route extending from ...
), 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. At its opening in 1969, McFarland Mall had 2 anchor stores,
Woolco Woolco was an American-based discount retail chain. It was founded in 1962 in Columbus, Ohio, by the F. W. Woolworth Company. It was a full-line discount department store unlike the five-and-dime Woolworth stores which operated at the time. At its ...
and
Gayfers Gayfer's was a regional department store chain in the southern United States. Based in Mobile, Alabama, the chain of stores operated from 1879 until 1998 when it was taken over by Dillard's. History C.J. Gayfer migrated to Mobile, Alabama, from ...
and 30 stores. At its height, McFarland Mall had 4 anchors, 40 stores, a 12-screen movie theater and a food court. Despite the opening of the larger University Mall in 1980, the mall survived an additional 30 years. However, the mall saw a steady 10-year decline during the 2000s following the closing of two anchors. Redevelopment was slated for 2013.


History

The grand opening of McFarland Mall was at 9:30 am on Wednesday, February 19, 1969. Tuscaloosa Mayor George Van Tassel and Tuscaloosa County Probate Judge John Puryear held the ribbon at the mall's main entrance. Mary Katherine Hinton, 7, and Elizabeth Russell Hinton, 5, daughters of co-developer, James "Jimmy" Hinton, cut the ribbon, signaling the opening of the mall. Stores opening that day included: The ABC (Alabama Beverage Control) Store, Auto-Lec, Bell Shoes, Butler's Shoes, City National Bank, Drapery Shop (Drapes, Inc.), Eleanor Shop, Fair Snacks,
Gayfers Gayfer's was a regional department store chain in the southern United States. Based in Mobile, Alabama, the chain of stores operated from 1879 until 1998 when it was taken over by Dillard's. History C.J. Gayfer migrated to Mobile, Alabama, from ...
, Gilberg's Fabrics, Lawson's Gifts, Lorch's Diamond Shop, Mall Barber Shop, Mall Shoe Repair, McArthur Furniture, Munford Do-It-Yourself, Myrl's Boutique, Newsom Record Shop, Northington Laundry,
Orange Julius Orange Julius is an American chain of fruit drink beverage stores. It has been in business since the late 1920s and is noted for a particular drink, also called an Orange Julius. The beverage is a mixture of ice, orange juice, sweetener, milk, p ...
, Paul Brown
Hallmark Cards Hallmark Cards, Inc. is a private, family-owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce Hall, Hallmark is the oldest and largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was award ...
Shop,
Pizitz Pizitz was a major regional department store chain in Alabama, with its flagship store in downtown Birmingham. At its peak it operated 12 other stores, mostly in the Birmingham area with several locations in Huntsville and other Alabama cities. ...
, Postle Appliance Center, Raymon's, Singer Sewing Center, U.S. Post Office, Wagner's Shoes, Webster's Men's Wear, and
WTBC WTBC (1230 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a classic country format. Licensed to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States, the station serves the greater Tuscaloosa area. The station is owned by Townsquare Media and features programming from Loca ...
Radio Station. Stores scheduled to open later were:
Baskin Robbins Baskin-Robbins is an American multinational chain of ice cream and cake speciality shops owned by Inspire Brands. Based in Canton, Massachusetts, Baskin-Robbins was founded in 1945 by Burt Baskin (1913–1967) and Irv Robbins (1917–2008) ...
, Chuck Collins Studio, Color Corner Photo Service, Jacobs Drug and Cafeteria,
Lee Roy Jordan Lee Roy Jordan (born April 27, 1941) is a former American football linebacker. After attending the University of Alabama, playing under head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, he played 14 years in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys from ...
's Flaming Steakhouse, Loft Candy, NGC Twin Theaters, Spiller's Pet Center, and
The Swiss Colony Colony Brands, Inc. (formerly, ''The Swiss Colony, Inc.'') is a mail-order catalog, mail-order and electronic retail company known for its cheese, sausage, chocolate, fruitcakes, and other food products. The company also features extensive offerin ...
. Ward Morrow McFarland, son of co-developer, Ward W. McFarland, was the appointed mall manager. The center was originally developed at an estimated $4.5 million by Ward Wharton McFarland and James Hinton. When it opened, McFarland Mall was the sixth fully enclosed mall constructed in the state of Alabama after Eastwood Mall in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
,
Heart of Huntsville Mall The Heart of Huntsville Mall was a shopping mall located in Huntsville, Alabama, United States. It opened in 1961. The mall was demolished in 2007 to make way for a new $150 million mixed-use development called "Constellation." History The Hear ...
and The Mall in
Huntsville Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...
,
Bel Air Mall The Shoppes at Bel Air, formerly Bel Air Mall, is a super-regional shopping mall, located in Mobile, Alabama, United States. The mall has a gross leasable area of . It is the oldest continuously operating enclosed super-regional mall in Alabama ...
in
Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...
and Southgate Mall in
Muscle Shoals Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located along the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, the population of Muscle Shoals was 13,146. The estimated popu ...
.
Gayfers Gayfer's was a regional department store chain in the southern United States. Based in Mobile, Alabama, the chain of stores operated from 1879 until 1998 when it was taken over by Dillard's. History C.J. Gayfer migrated to Mobile, Alabama, from ...
,
Woolco Woolco was an American-based discount retail chain. It was founded in 1962 in Columbus, Ohio, by the F. W. Woolworth Company. It was a full-line discount department store unlike the five-and-dime Woolworth stores which operated at the time. At its ...
(which had opened in November 1967), and Winn-Dixie (which had opened in an out-parcel in 1968) anchored the one-story new mall. Gayfers added a second floor to its store in 1975 and remained the only two-story tenant.
Woolco Woolco was an American-based discount retail chain. It was founded in 1962 in Columbus, Ohio, by the F. W. Woolworth Company. It was a full-line discount department store unlike the five-and-dime Woolworth stores which operated at the time. At its ...
closed in 1983 and was replaced by
Zayre Zayre () was a chain of discount stores that operated in the eastern half of the United States from 1956 to 1990. The company's headquarters was in Framingham, Massachusetts. In October 1988, Zayre's parent company, Zayre Corp., sold the stores ...
that same year. Following the demise of Zayre in 1989, the anchor space was divided into several smaller spaces. Jefferson Home Furniture (later
Heilig-Meyers Heilig-Meyers was a retail furniture store chain founded in Goldsboro, North Carolina, in 1913 by two Lithuanian immigrants, W. A. Heilig and J. M. Meyers. Its corporate headquarters was in Richmond, Virginia. The chain grew to become th ...
),
T.J. Maxx TJ Maxx (stylized as T•J•maxx) is an American department store chain, selling at prices generally lower than other major similar stores. It has more than 1,000 stores in the United States, making it one of the largest clothing retailers in ...
and Drug Mart moved into the spaces, of which only T.J. Maxx opened out into the mall. The mall saw significant renovations in 1980 and again in 1993, with the addition of a 320-seat food court under an enormous atrium and a new anchor space, occupied by Goody's Family Clothing. Winn-Dixie moved away from the mall and book retailer Books-a-Million moved into the out-parcel. Drug Mart became Shoe Station, and a Crafts, Etc. (later
Michaels Michaels Stores, Inc., more commonly known as Michaels, is a privately held chain of 1,252 American and Canadian arts and crafts stores, as of January 2021. It is one of North America's largest providers of arts, crafts, framing, floral and wall ...
) store opened between Drug Mart and Heilig-Meyers in 1993. Heilig-Meyers closed in 2001 and was replaced by Sticks 'N' Stuff. Gayfers was acquired by
Dillard's Dillard's, Inc. is an upscale American department store chain with approximately 282 stores in 29 states and headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Currently, the largest number of stores are located in Texas with 57 and Florida with 42. The ...
in 1998. The theaters closed in 2005. The mall remained under the ownership of the McFarland family through 2009. In May 2009, it was announced that Tuscaloosa developer Stan Pate had purchased the mall from Ward McFarland, Inc. ending the McFarland family association with the facility. The new owners have declared that they will be looking at many options to make the facility more profitable, from future renovations to completely demolishing the structure and building anew. McFarland is the second oldest enclosed mall in the state of Alabama with only Bel Air Mall being constructed earlier. Following the closure of Dillard's in 2008 and Goody's the following year, the only remaining anchor was T.J. Maxx. The Dillard's wing was blocked off to the public in 2010.


Redevelopment

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. Cheddar's Casual Café and
Texas Roadhouse Texas Roadhouse is an American steakhouse chain that specializes in steaks in a Texan and Southwestern cuisine style. It is a subsidiary of Texas Roadhouse Inc, which has two other concepts (Bubba's 33 and Jaggers) and is headquartered in Louis ...
were also announced, and Books-A-Million was slated to move from an existing outparcel.
Bed Bath & Beyond Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. is an American chain of domestic merchandise retail stores. The chain operates many stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Bed Bath & Beyond was founded in 1971. It is counted among the Fortune 5 ...
had also expressed interest in building a store on the property, which was to be renamed Encore Tuscaloosa. Cheddar's opened in April 2013; however, Books-a-Million closed their store in May 2013. On March 19, 2014, the demolition commenced on the Dillards anchor store. The T.J. Maxx wing remained open with 3 indoor tenants and 3 tenants accessible from the exterior. As of June 15, 2015, T.J. Maxx, Classy Threads, and IT'S Fashion remained inside, but IT's Fashion would move to University Mall later that year. Outside retailers that are currently open are Dollar Tree (housed in the old Piccadilly Cafeteria location), Harry's Barber Shop, and one other discount store. On March 1, 2016, T.J. Maxx left the mall and moved to McFarland Plaza in the former
OfficeMax OfficeMax is an American office supplies retailer founded in 1988. It is now a subsidiary of The ODP Corporation, which is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. As of December 2012, OfficeMax operated 941 stores in 47 states, Puerto Rico, the U ...
location. Shoe Station would also close and move to McFarland Plaza (in the former
Shoe Carnival Shoe Carnival Inc. is an American retailer of family footwear. The company operates 377 stores throughout the midwest, south, and southeast regions. It was founded by David Russell in 1978 and is headquartered in Evansville, Indiana. The company ...
location) around the same time. Cheddar's closed later in 2016. The former Sticks ’N’ Stuff hosted
Spirit Halloween Spirit Halloween, LLC is an American seasonal retailer that supplies Halloween decorations, costumes, props and accessories. It is the country's largest Halloween retailer. It is currently owned by Spencer Gifts. It was founded in 1983 and bega ...
every year around the Halloween season until 2020, when it also moved to University Mall, taking over the former
Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
anchor space. The former Books-A-Million hosted a antique shop called "Roadside Antiques", which sold a lot of stuff some of which was formerly owned by Pate. The former Cheddar's is now a Chinese buffet restaurant called "Asuka Buffet". As of April 2022, Dollar Tree is the only remaining business open in McFarland Mall. On December 15, 2020, the demolition process began once again, starting with the former
Chili's Chili's Grill & Bar is an American casual dining restaurant chain. The company was founded by Larry Lavine in Texas in 1975 and is currently owned and operated by Brinker International. History Chili's first location, a converted postal statio ...
. Stan Pate's plan is to build a sportsplex over where the mall once stood. Demolition continued on February 23, 2021, with the old Woolco wing where Sticks ‘N’ Stuff, Michael's, Shoe Station, and TJ Maxx were housed for many years. The process was concluded with the demolition of the former Goody’s on April 20, 2022.


References

;General ;Specific * * {{Shopping malls in Alabama Shopping malls established in 1969 Defunct shopping malls in the United States Demolished shopping malls in the United States Shopping malls disestablished in 2016 1969 establishments in Alabama Shopping malls in Alabama Buildings and structures in Tuscaloosa, Alabama 2016 disestablishments in Alabama