The once-beloved vacant Birmingham-area mall could soon be home to a medical center

After years of redevelopment stalls, some updates may be coming to the beloved Brookwood Village mall.

On Nov. 5, the Homewood planning commission will hold a public hearing to consider turning part of the vacant property into a medical office building.

If the redevelopment is approved, the mall’s former Belk location will become a 135,000-square-foot Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedics Center, according to city documents.

Based on the hospital campus of St. Vincent of Birmingham, Andrews Sports Medicine aims to create one of the largest ambulatory surgery centers in the Southeast if they are approved to move to Brookwood Village, according to their proposal to the city of Homewood.

In the proposal, the company wrote that it hopes the center will become a catalyst for job creation and continued economic growth in the metro.

“The right vision and careful planning can restore Brookwood to its rightful place in our community,” the proposal states.

The commission will also consider reassessing the property to divide it into three separate lots.

A 3.3-acre lot would be redeveloped into the new medical center if it is approved, according to Homewood City Planner Fred Goodwin.

The rest of the 14-acre property would be divided into a large lot, which would contain most of the former mall, and a smaller lot, which would contain mostly surface parking, Goodwin said.

Any community member interested in speaking at the public hearing must be present in person, according to the hearings agenda.

The hearing will be held on November 5th at 6pm at Homewood’s City Council Chambers, located at 2850 19th Street South.

Following the hearing, the planning commission may decide to vote on the redevelopment plans or delay its decision for another month, Goodwin said.