# Richland Mall

Forest Acres, SC · mall · tier: draft · Retrofit Atlas record `m-198b1d1d3d` · release 2026-10-20

Canonical: https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/sc/forest-acres-richland-mall/  
JSON: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-198b1d1d3d.json · Provenance: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-198b1d1d3d.provenance.json · API: https://retrofitatlas.org/api/v1/sites/m-198b1d1d3d

## Facts

| Field | Value | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Status | demolished | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Strategy | redevelop, regreen | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| New use | mixed, housing, park, retail, park | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| What is there now | park | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Opened | 1961 | reported · Wikipedia |
| Retrofit year | 2024 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Stores at peak | 27 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Original developer | L. J. Hooker | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Redeveloper | Southeastern Development | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Zoning change | mixed-use | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Entitlement year | 2022 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |

## Quoted support

- **original_developer**: “L. J. Hooker bought the complex with plans of converting it into not only a much larger indoor mall...” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richland_Mall_(South_Carolina)
- **after_notes**: “A grocery store is planned as the other anchor store. Other plans include apartments, a park, and a brewery or tap room.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richland_Mall_(South_Carolina)
- **status**: “The mall is currently undergoing demolition as of October 2024.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richland_Mall_(South_Carolina)
- **strategy**: “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.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richland_Mall_(South_Carolina)
- **zoning_change**: “Tentative plans included refurbishing the former Parisian anchor store for Belk to move into...” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richland_Mall_(South_Carolina)

## Anchors

Dillard's, Belk, J.B. White, Bonwit Teller, Parisian, Barnes & Noble

## Parties

- L. J. Hooker — owner (from text) (1961–1987)
- Peerless Development Group — owner (from text) (2005–2007)
- Century Capitol Group — owner (from text) (2010–2022)
- Southeastern Development — owner (from text) (2022–2024)

## 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

## Deals and debt

- 2022 sale:  Southeastern Development ← Century Capitol Group  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richland_Mall_(South_Carolina)
- 2010 sale:  Century Capitol Group ← Peerless Development Group  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richland_Mall_(South_Carolina)
- 2005 sale:  Peerless Development Group ← unknown  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richland_Mall_(South_Carolina)

## Background (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened)

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.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richland_Mall_(South_Carolina)

## Sources

- Quoted support for original_developer — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richland_Mall_(South_Carolina)

## Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "Richland Mall, Forest Acres, SC." Record m-198b1d1d3d, release 2026-10-20, tier draft. 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}
}
```

Licence: research use only; terms undecided with the authors (https://retrofitatlas.org/licence/). Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0. Tiers: curated = from the authors' public map, not reviewed by them; draft = imported or model-extracted, unreviewed.