Malls · South Carolina

Richland Mall (Forest Acres)

Imported, unreviewedRedevelopedRegreenedDemolishedForest Acres, SC

Opened 1961. Redeveloped · Regreened in 2024.

Status nowDemolishedextracted, unreviewed

documented

The mall is currently undergoing demolition as of October 2024.

en.wikipedia.org

What it becamemixed, housing, park, retail, parkextracted, unreviewed reported

Retrofit year2024extracted, unreviewed reported

Walkability13.8 of 20 · 15-minute 6 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap

Rail within 800 mNoOpenStreetMap, HUD

Reach the owner Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this record

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.

Richland Mall. 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

Belk

This site: Belk wikipedia · all sites with this

Dillard's

This site: Dillard's wikipedia · all sites with this

Finance and pipeline

Attention fading (Wikipedia views −40% y/y)

This site: 6,653 views, -42% wikimedia · all sites with this

Sold since 2020

This site: 2022 Southeastern Development research-deals · all sites with this

Website dead or redirecting

This site: …http://www.richlandmallsc.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

Bike network nearby

This site: 11 ways openstreetmap · all sites with this

Grocery within 800 m

This site: 1 stores openstreetmap · all sites with this

High-income tract ($100k+)

This site: $131,192 census-acs · all sites with this

Low social vulnerability tract (SVI ≤ 0.25)

This site: 0.21 cdc-svi · all sites with this

Walkable block group (EPA ≥ 12)

This site: …index 13.8 epa-walkability · all sites with this

Strategy

Redeveloped

This site: …park extraction · all sites with this

Regreened

This site: …park extraction · all sites with this

New use

Housing

This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this

Mixed use

This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this

Park and open space

This site: …park extraction · all sites with this

Retail (continued)

This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

Status	Demolishedextracted, unreviewed documented The mall is currently undergoing demolition as of October 2024. en.wikipedia.org
Strategy	Redeveloped · Regreenedextracted, unreviewed documented Tentative plans included refurbishing the former Parisian anchor store for Belk to move into so that afterward the original J.B.White/current Belk would be demolished along with the rest of the mall. en.wikipedia.org
New uses	mixed, housing, park, retail, parkextracted, unreviewed reported
What is there now	parkextracted, unreviewed documented A grocery store is planned as the other anchor store. Other plans include apartments, a park, and a brewery or tap room. en.wikipedia.org
Retrofit year	2024extracted, unreviewed reported
Redeveloper	Southeastern Developmentextracted, unreviewed reported

Planning

Zoning change	mixed-useextracted, unreviewed documented Tentative plans included refurbishing the former Parisian anchor store for Belk to move into... en.wikipedia.org
Entitlement year	2022extracted, unreviewed reported

Deals and debt

Date	Event	Price	Parties	Source
2022	Sold	—	Southeastern Development ← Century Capitol Group	Wikipedia
2010	Sold	—	Century Capitol Group ← Peerless Development Group	Wikipedia
2005	Sold	—	Peerless Development Group ← unknown	Wikipedia

Site context

Transit within 800 m	no rail station; 1 bus stops within 400 mOpenStreetMap
FEMA flood zone	no NFHL polygon at point (unmapped or outside coverage)FEMA NFHL
EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m	7: 7 BREW AND RETAIL DEVELOPMENT; CROWN CENTRAL SC 006; EXXON CO USA 43589; KROGER SAV-ON #0012-011; OKLAHOMA INSTALLATION COEPA FRS
Census tract 45079001200	1,991 people, 2,830 per sq mi; median household income $131,192; median gross rent $1,203; 23% renters; 0.0% vacant units; 0.0% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year
Walkability (EPA, block group)	index 13.8 of 20; 70 intersections per sq mi; nearest transit stop 768 m; land-use mix 0.81; 66,953 jobs within 45 min by car, 21,627 by transit; 2% of households without a carEPA Smart Location
Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m)	6 of 6 daily needs: 1 grocers, 1 schools, 10 parks or playgrounds, 3 health, 4 civic, 10 food and drink; 11 cycleway segments, 11 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap
Opportunity Zone	noHUD
Housing permits, Richland County (SC), 2024	1,096 units in 5+ unit buildings, 219 in 2–4, 2,154 single-family; 2023: 578 in 5+Census BPS
Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract)	overall percentile 0.21; socioeconomic 0.14; housing and transport 0.10; 10% below 150% of poverty; 0% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR
Overture Maps	place Richland Mall (shopping_mall, confidence 0.77, from Foursquare, Overture); building footprint 8,440 m², 10.66943645477295 mOverture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0)
Website and social	www.richlandmallsc.com (down or redirecting, status 522)Overture / Internet Archive
Attention: Wikipedia page views	79,951 since 2015; 6,653 in the last 12 months (-42% vs the prior 12); peak 2024-07 with 4,183Wikimedia
Tract change 2013–2023	population +6% (1,879 → 1,991); median income +45% ($90,556 → $131,192); renters 21% → 23%; median home value +24% ($323,000 → $399,200)Census ACS 5-year
Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract)	very low overall (score 17.0); expected annual loss $953,572; community resilience relatively moderateFEMA NRI
Tax-credit housing within 1 km	noneHUD LIHTC
Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW)	21,250 jobs in 1,402 establishments; average annual pay $40,630; employment location quotient 0.94; employment +1.0% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private
Jobs located in the tract, 2022	479 jobs; 150 in retail trade, 224 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 45079001200)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022
Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract)	children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 48th income percentile as adults; 0.6% incarcerated at the 2010 count (47 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; poverty rate 2.3%; median family income $126,250; 16 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS
Schools	Richland School District 1 (PK-12); 4 public schools within 1 mile: Bradley Elementary; A. C. Flora High; Crayton Middle; BereaNCES EDGE
Elevation	206 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP
Storm events in the county, 2016-2025	552 county-logged events: 330 thunderstorm wind, 126 flash flood, 46 hail, 23 heavy rain; $2,769,150 property damage reported; 1 direct deaths; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events
Homes for sale in ZIP 29204, 2026-09	median list price $220,350 (+0.6% on the year); 81 active listings; median 51 days on market; 39% with a price cutRealtor.com Research
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023	1,230 establishments (-2%); 20,015 jobs (+7%)Census CBP
Housing market in the county	typical home value $241,261 (+1% 1 yr, +27% 5 yr); typical rent $1,517/mo (+2% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
House price index, tract, 2025	508 (2000 = 100); +11.3% 1 yr, +54% 5 yr, +80% 10 yrFHFA
Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024)	27,300 vehicles a day on FOREST DR (principal arterial, 4 lanes); 1,862 trucks; 40 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS

Summary, model-written

Richland Mall opened in 1961 as the first mall in Columbia, peaked at 27 stores, and began losing anchors in the 2000s. Interior vacancy grew, leading to demolition announcement in 2022 and start of demolition in 2024. The site is slated for mixed‑use housing, retail, and park redevelopment.

Why. Anchor losses—Dillard's closed 2003, Belk and Barnes & Noble exited 2023—combined with long‑term vacancy since the late 2000s and lack of major renovation drove the decline. The record does not cite competition, debt, or other financial pressures.

Where it stands. As of October 2024 the property is undergoing demolition and is owned by Southeastern Development, which acquired it from Century Capitol Group in 2022.

For a planner

Mall‑to‑mixed‑use redevelopment precedent with zoning change approved 2022.
Entitlement secured in 2022 allows housing, retail, and park components.
Open questions: required infrastructure upgrades, affordable housing share, park design and maintenance.

For a developer

Site controlled by Southeastern Development from 2022 to present (deed transfer 2022).
Entitlement stage: mixed‑use approved 2022; demolition underway 2024.
Constraints not detailed in record: flood risk, transit access, environmental conditions.
Market signal: tract data absent; however, housing component signals residential demand.

What we do not know yet

Exact parcel size and acreage not provided.
Reasons for anchor closures beyond store‑specific notes are unspecified.
No information on existing debt, financing, or tax‑increment incentives.
Environmental constraints (floodplain, wetlands, soil) are not listed.
Several extraction‑based fields (year_retrofit, developer, strategy, new_use, zoning_change, entitlement_year) are flagged as draft, indicating potential unverification.

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

Rock Hill Mall, Rock Hill, SC · Malls · opened 1968; same strategy: redevelop; also in SC
North DeKalb Mall, Decatur, GA · Malls · opened 1965; same strategy: redevelop
Landmark Mall, Alexandria, VA · Malls · opened 1965; same strategy: redevelop
Avondale Mall, DeKalb County, GA · Malls · opened 1964; same strategy: redevelop

Elsewhere on the web

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

Pages with photos

Sky City: Retail History: Richland Mall: Columbia/Forest Acres, SC skycity2.blogspot.com
Richland Mall - Forest Acres (Columbia), SC … flickr.com
SC taxpayers might pitch in millions for nearly vacant Richland Mall redevelopment. Here’s how thestate.com
Richland Mall to be Demolished | City of Forest Acres, SC forestacres.net
Kroger to anchor Richland Mall redevelopment in Columbia - S… scbiz.com
Redevelopment of Richland Mall to bring historic growth to Forest Acres ... coladaily.com

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

Multifamily screen

retrofit already built
closed or demolished site (sourced)
already in play: under construction, approved, or sold to a developer with housing plans
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.

History and original facts

Now called / also known as	Richland Mall
Opened	1961Wikipedia
Stores at peak	27extracted, unreviewed reported
Original developer	L. J. Hookerextracted, unreviewed documented L. J. Hooker bought the complex with plans of converting it into not only a much larger indoor mall... en.wikipedia.org
Anchors	Dillard's, Belk, J.B. White, Bonwit Teller, Parisian, Barnes & Noble
County	Richland County
Census division	5 · South Atlantic
Notes	Wikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States

Not yet recorded: acres, GLA. Know it? Tell us.

Background

Richland Mall was an enclosed shopping mall near the intersection of Forest Drive and Beltline Blvd in Forest Acres, South Carolina within the greater Columbia Metropolitan Area. The interior mall space has been closed to the public since early 2022. However, its last anchor store, Belk, continued to operate until early September 2023. A Barnes & Noble continued to operate as a junior anchor with its own exterior access until December 31, 2023. There are two additional empty anchor stores that have both been largely vacant since the late 2000s. The mall's last inline tenant, Columbia Children's Theatre, moved out on February 1, 2023. The mall has never received a major renovation and has an ornate late 1980s-early 1990s interior aesthetic. The mall is currently undergoing demolition as of October 2024.

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

Timeline

1961 Opened (Wikidata)
1961 opened as first mall in Columbia
1987 original mall closed
1988 redeveloped as Richland Fashion Mall
1996 renamed back to Richland Mall
2003 Dillard's closed
2022 demolition announced
2024 demolition started

Sources

Wikipedia: Richland Mall (South Carolina, original) · supports: after notes, original developer, status, strategy, zoning change
12 quoted sentences
L. J. Hooker bought the complex with plans of converting it into not only a much larger indoor mall...
A grocery store is planned as the other anchor store. Other plans include apartments, a park, and a brewery or tap room.
The mall is currently undergoing demolition as of October 2024.
Tentative plans included refurbishing the former Parisian anchor store for Belk to move into so that afterward the original J.B.White/current Belk would be demolished along with the rest of the mall.

Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "Richland Mall, Forest Acres, SC." Record m-198b1d1d3d, imported, unreviewed. Built on the public Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed. https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/sc/forest-acres-richland-mall/ (accessed 2026-10-20).

BibTeX

@misc{retrofitatlas_forestacresrichlandmall,
  title = {Richland Mall, Forest Acres, SC},
  author = {{Retrofit Atlas}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/sc/forest-acres-richland-mall/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Record m-198b1d1d3d, release 2026-10-20, tier: draft. Built on the Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed on the record. Accessed 2026-10-20}
}

How to cite, versioning