McFarland Mall demolition makes way for new shopping center

Published: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at 7:04 p.m.

Demolition began Wednesday on McFarland Mall as developer Stan Pate is moving toward construction of a new retail center called Encore Tuscaloosa.

Expected to reach between 250,000- and 350,000 square feet of space, the estimated $75 million investment will feature a nationally-known anchor store and three to four additional restaurants when it opens in late 2015 or early 2016.

"It's my encore and, in a lot of ways, the encore for McFarland Mall," Pate said.

Pate said the development is meant to be a follow-up to the Midtown Village development that Pate began.He sold the site in 2005 to Cypress Equities, a Texas-based development company affiliated with former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach.

He said it also is meant to add to the Shoppes at Legacy Park, the $62 million, 250,000-square-foot shopping center on a 16.25-acre tract planned for the former Cedar Crest neighborhood by Alumni Development & Construction LLC of Clanton.

"We see them complementary, not just competitive. These two projects speak to the strength of the Tuscaloosa community," Pate said.

The former Books-a-Million building will be demolished along with the rest of the structures on the 40-acre site, but T.J. Maxx, Dollar Tree and Shoe Station are expected to return once the project is complete.

Pate also said he intends to bring in amenities and offerings for children and young adults, a market that has been underserved since the April 27, 2011, tornado wiped out Chuck E. Cheese in the former Wood Square shopping center.

"I, personally, think it's a high priority to answer the needs for an experience for children," Pate said. "The adults are looking for it, and the children are certainly looking for it."

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McFarland Mall demolition makes way for new shopping center