Malls · Georgia
Westgate Mall (Birmingham)
Opened 1961. Redevelopment, under construction in 2020.
Status nowUnder constructionextracted, unreviewed
documented
As of 2020, a new developer, Uptown Realty, has begun redevelopment of the Westgate Shopping Center.
What it becameoffice, industrial, retailextracted, unreviewed reported
Retrofit year2020extracted, unreviewed reported
Walkability7.5 of 20EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mNo · Opportunity ZoneOpenStreetMap, HUD
Ask who owns this Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this recordhttps://retrofitatlas.org/malls/ga/birmingham-westgate-mall/
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.
Site profile12 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
Finance and pipeline
Retrofit in the pipeline
This site: …under construction extraction · all sites with thisPlace
3+ other atlas sites within 10 km
This site: 4 within 10 km computed · all sites with thisHigh heat wave risk
This site: Relatively High fema-nri · all sites with thisHigh social vulnerability tract (SVI ≥ 0.75)
This site: 0.89 cdc-svi · all sites with thisLower-income tract (< $50k)
This site: $34,500 census-acs · all sites with thisOpportunity Zone
This site: 13021012600 hud-oz · all sites with thisRenter-majority tract
This site: 59% census-acs · all sites with thisStrategy
Redeveloped
This site: Middle Georgia Industrial Park extraction · all sites with thisNew use
Logistics and industrial
This site: Middle Georgia Industrial Park extraction · all sites with thisOffice
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisPark and open space
This site: Middle Georgia Industrial Park extraction · all sites with thisRetail (continued)
This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Under constructionextracted, unreviewed documentedAs of 2020, a new developer, Uptown Realty, has begun redevelopment of the Westgate Shopping Center. |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Redevelopment, under constructionextracted, unreviewed documentedAs of 2020, a new developer, Uptown Realty, has begun redevelopment of the Westgate Shopping Center. |
| New uses | office, industrial, retailextracted, unreviewed reported |
| What is there now | Middle Georgia Industrial Parkextracted, unreviewed documentedNow to be known as Middle Georgia Industrial Park, the area will become a complex intended to feature office facilities, warehouses, and retail stores. |
| Retrofit year | 2020extracted, unreviewed reported |
| Redeveloper | Uptown Realtyextracted, unreviewed reported |
Securitised debt and public filers
Filings (2001 to date) that name “Westgate Mall” and “Birmingham” (94 hits, first 94 sampled, 8 other filers such as tenants left out). No commercial-mortgage trust names this mall in the sample, which does not rule out a securitised loan. Text matches, not a title search. Open the search · all trusts.
| Kind | Filer | Filings | Dates | Forms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public owner (weak) | DEVELOPERS DIVERSIFIED REALTY CORP (SITC, SITC-PA) | 42 | 2001-04-02 to 2011-02-28 | 8-K 29, 10-K 13 |
Site context
| FEMA flood zone | no NFHL polygon at point (unmapped or outside coverage)FEMA NFHL |
|---|---|
| EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m | 4: GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER; HOME DEPOT HD0135; PENSKE AUTO CENTER; PEP BOYSEPA FRS |
| Census tract 13021012600 | 3,852 people, 1,455 per sq mi; median household income $34,500; median gross rent $833; 59% renters; 24.6% vacant units; 1.7% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year |
| Walkability (EPA, block group) | index 7.5 of 20; 50 intersections per sq mi; no transit stop within the EPA search radius; land-use mix 0.71; 20,833 jobs within 45 min by car; 9% of households without a carEPA Smart Location |
| Opportunity Zone | yes, tract 13021012600 (rural)HUD |
| Housing permits, Bibb County (GA), 2024 | 0 units in 5+ unit buildings, 0 in 2–4, 154 single-family; 2023: 0 in 5+Census BPS |
| Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract) | overall percentile 0.89; socioeconomic 0.99; housing and transport 0.37; 42% below 150% of poverty; 20% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR |
| Other atlas sites nearby | 4 within 10 km, 5 within 25 km: Macon Mall (2.7 km); Korner Kupboard (4.3 km); Former gas station near the intersection of Spring Street and Riverside Drive (4.6 km); Macon Grocery Warehouses (4.7 km)computed |
| Overture Maps | no place match; building footprint 16,898 m², 7.400102138519287 mOverture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0) |
| Attention: Wikipedia page views | 4,004 since 2015; 1,273 in the last 12 months (-20% vs the prior 12); peak 2025-10 with 465Wikimedia |
| Tract change 2013–2023 | population -22% (4,934 → 3,852); median income +43% ($24,149 → $34,500); renters 45% → 59%; median home value +27% ($66,600 → $84,700)Census ACS 5-year |
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract) | relatively low overall (score 40.8); expected annual loss $762,557; high: heat wave, lightning; community resilience relatively highFEMA NRI |
| Tax-credit housing within 1 km | 1 LIHTC properties, 60 units: Anthony Arms (60 units)HUD LIHTC |
| Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW) | 10,123 jobs in 757 establishments; average annual pay $39,350; employment location quotient 1.28; employment -2.5% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private |
| Jobs located in the tract, 2022 | 2,093 jobs; 658 in retail trade, 337 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 13021012600)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022 |
| Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract) | children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 30th income percentile as adults; 3.3% incarcerated at the 2010 count (1,013 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights |
| Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract) | not a low-access tract at 1 mile; 0% of residents more than 1 mile from a supermarket; poverty rate 30.0%; median family income $37,345; 444 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS |
| Schools | Bibb County School District (PK-12); 5 public schools within 1 mile: Cirrus Charter Academy; Ingram/Pye Elementary School; Hartley Elementary School; Southwest High SchoolNCES EDGE |
| Elevation | 437 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP |
| Storm events in the county, 2016-2025 | 67 county-logged events: 51 thunderstorm wind, 7 tornado, 4 flash flood, 4 hail; $2,700,000 property damage reported; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events |
| Homes for sale in ZIP 31206, 2026-09 | median list price $104,875 (+16.9% on the year); 142 active listings; median 59 days on market; 19% with a price cutRealtor.com Research |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 759 establishments (-6%); 11,287 jobs (+10%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $170,006 (+2% 1 yr, +29% 5 yr); typical rent $1,211/mo (+3% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 20,700 vehicles a day on 80 (principal arterial, 5 lanes); 1,183 trucks; 40 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Westgate Mall opened in 1961 as Georgia's first fully enclosed shopping mall, anchored by JJ Newberry's five‑and‑dime and lacking department store anchors. A single‑screen theater was added in 1966 and Wal‑Mart arrived in 1988. Demolition began between 1994 and 1995, and redevelopment started in 2020 by Uptown Realty, with the site currently under construction for office, industrial, and retail uses.
Why. The record does not explicitly state the causes of decline or demolition; it notes the lack of department store anchors and the timing of demolition but does not cite anchor loss, competition, debt, or other factors.
Where it stands. The site is currently under construction as part of a redevelopment led by Uptown Realty.
For a planner
- Precedent: first fully enclosed mall in Georgia (opened 1961).
- Policy tools: redevelopment strategy approved, new uses include office, industrial, and retail.
- Open questions: timing of build‑out, infrastructure improvements, and integration with surrounding land uses.
For a developer
- Control: redevelopment led by developer Uptown Realty.
- Entitlement stage: under construction, implying approved plans and permits.
- Constraints: site‑specific data on size, flood risk, transit access, and environmental conditions are not provided in the record.
- Market signals: tract‑level data (e.g., demographics, income, retail demand) are absent from the record.
What we do not know yet
- Site size and parcel boundaries are not specified.
- Exact timeline for completion and phasing of office, industrial, and retail components are unknown.
- Environmental constraints (floodplain, wetlands, soil conditions) are not listed.
- Transit access and proximity to major roadways are not detailed.
- Financial structure, debt, or any public incentives supporting the redevelopment are not mentioned.
- The record is marked as 'draft' verification, indicating some facts may be 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
- Columbus Square Mall, Columbus, GA · Malls · opened 1965; same strategy: redevelop; also in GA
- Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center site, Atlanta, GA · Other · opened 1968; same strategy: redevelop; also in GA
- North DeKalb Mall, Decatur, GA · Malls · opened 1965; same strategy: redevelop; also in GA
- Avondale Mall, DeKalb County, GA · Malls · opened 1964; same strategy: redevelop; also in GA
Elsewhere on the web
Pages with photos
- New development planned for Westgate Mall in Macon GA | Mac… macon.com
- Spartanburg's WestGate Mall sells for $15M, ending 7-month search for new owner. postandcourier.com
- Retail of Macon: Westgate Mall - Georgia's First Enclo… retailofmacon.blogspot.com
- Vendors fill open space at WestGate Mall goupstate.com
- Sky City: Retail History: Westgate Mall Brochure Photos: Macon, GA skycity2.blogspot.com
- Westgate Mall • Facility Solutions thefacilitysolution.com
Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- already in play: under construction, approved, or sold to a developer with housing plans
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Opened | 1961extracted, unreviewed |
|---|---|
| Anchors | Colonial Stores, Scotty's Builders Supply, Burlington Coat Factory, Wal-Mart, JJ Newberry's, Piggly Wiggly |
| County | Bibb County |
| Census division | 5 · South Atlantic |
| Notes | Wikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States |
Not yet recorded: acres, GLA, original developer. Know it? Tell us.
Background
Westgate Shopping Center was the first fully enclosed shopping mall in Georgia. It opened in 1961, a year after Eastwood opened in Birmingham, Alabama. Like Eastwood, Westgate had no department store anchors but was prominently anchored by five and dime store JJ Newberry's.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Timeline
- 1961 Opened
- 1988 Wal-Mart added
- 1994 Demolition began (between 1994 and 1995)
- 2020 Redevelopment begun by Uptown Realty
Sources
- Wikipedia: Westgate Mall (Georgia) · supports: after notes, status, strategy, year opened
9 quoted sentences
It opened in 1961
Now to be known as Middle Georgia Industrial Park, the area will become a complex intended to feature office facilities, warehouses, and retail stores.
As of 2020, a new developer, Uptown Realty, has begun redevelopment of the Westgate Shopping Center.
As of 2020, a new developer, Uptown Realty, has begun redevelopment of the Westgate Shopping Center.
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