Parkway Place: New Era in Huntsville Shopping
The doors swung open, and Parkway Place was something Huntsville hadn’t seen before—bright, towering glass, polished tile, and escalators humming with movement.
It was crisp, modern, and designed to impress. Shoppers poured in, lured by a promise of something new.
The smell of fresh paint mixed with cinnamon rolls from the food court. Under the glow of storefront lights, it felt like the city had stepped into the future.
The ground it stood on had seen decades of retail rise and fall. Parkway City Mall had once been Huntsville’s go-to shopping destination, but time had drained the life from it.
The layout felt outdated, foot traffic thinned, and empty storefronts told a story no one wanted to admit.
When Montgomery Ward closed in 2001, it wasn’t just a lost anchor—it was the final sign that the mall’s time was up.
Demolition crews moved in, clearing away the past to make room for something new.
Parkway Place opened in 2002. It was sleek and upscale, built for a city that wasn’t the same as it had been decades ago.
The old, single-story layout was gone, replaced with soaring ceilings and a carefully curated mix of retailers.
Huntsville was expanding—tech, aerospace, and new industries were bringing in new money.
Parkway Place was built to capture that shift, offering something fresh, something different.
For a while, it felt like the future had arrived.
Two decades later, Parkway Place remains Huntsville’s only indoor mall after Madison Square Mall closed in 2017.
The retail landscape has shifted, but Parkway Place still stands, its escalators running and its doors open.
For those looking for things to do in Huntsville, Alabama, shopping, dining, and convenience remain important.
The Ghosts of Parkway City Mall
Before Parkway Place rose, another mall stood in its place. Parkway City Mall wasn’t the first shopping center on this ground, but for decades, it was the one Huntsville relied on.
In 1957, Parkway Shopping Center opened with just 25 stores. Two years later, seven more were added, and by the early ’70s, it was clear that retail was changing.
The open-air layout, once a selling point, was starting to feel outdated. Then came the storm.
A tornado ripped through the south end in April 1974, leaving parts of the complex unrecognizable.
Instead of rebuilding the same way, developers saw an opportunity. Arlen Real Estate, later known as CBL & Associates, stepped in.
The plan was to enclose the space, modernize it, and turn it into a fully indoor shopping destination.
By February 1976, Parkway City Mall had opened its doors.
It had everything a late-’70s mall needed. Montgomery Ward anchored one end, with Pizitz (later bought by McRae’s) and Parisian filling the other spots.
The layout was simple—one level, straight corridors, a mix of national chains, and local stores in between.
The expansions in 1984 and 1994 kept it competitive, but retail trends were shifting.
Madison Square Mall, a bigger and newer competitor, opened in 1984, drawing customers west.
Shopping habits changed again in the late ’90s. Big-box stores, strip malls, and online shopping pulled business away.
Then came 2001. Montgomery Ward filed for bankruptcy, closing stores nationwide, including the Parkway City location.
Losing an anchor left a hole that was hard to fill. By then, many retailers had already left, and the mall was running out of time.
The decision was made: Parkway City would come down, and something new would take its place.
Parkway Place Rises from the Rubble
The demolition of Parkway City Mall didn’t happen overnight. CBL & Associates had a strategy—keep parts of the property open as long as possible to keep what businesses remained.
Piccadilly Cafeteria, one of the last surviving tenants, stayed open while construction crews worked around it.
By 2002, the old structure had disappeared, and a new kind of shopping center was taking shape in its place.
Parkway Place wasn’t just a rebuild. It was a different kind of mall—sleek, glass-heavy, designed to feel upscale. The developers wanted more than just another shopping center; they wanted a destination.
When it opened on October 16, 2002, it had two anchor stores: Dillard’s and Belk.
Between them, 70 inline retailers, a 400-seat food court, and a multilevel parking deck offered something Huntsville hadn’t seen before.
This was a different kind of mall—designed for shoppers looking for more than routine errands.
Parkway Place leaned into experience, curating stores Huntsville hadn’t seen before.
Build-A-Bear Workshop turned shopping into an activity, Chico’s catered to upscale tastes, and Torrid brought fashion to an overlooked market.
The design followed suit, with wide walkways, bright lighting, and a layout that felt open instead of crowded.
Huntsville was evolving, and Parkway Place was built to keep pace.
By the early 2000s, Huntsville was growing beyond its reputation as a military and aerospace hub.
Defense contractors were expanding, tech companies were arriving, and the local economy was shifting, and with it, disposable income was rising.
Parkway Place was designed to capture that moment, appealing to shoppers looking for more than just necessities.
For a time, the formula held. But two decades later, retail had shifted. E-commerce reshaped habits, and malls across the country thinned out, their corridors emptier, their anchor stores vanishing.
Parkway Place, designed with change in mind, didn’t fade as quickly. It adapted—adjusting, recalibrating, and staying open while the industry reshaped itself around it.
The Reality of a 21st Century Mall
By 2017, Parkway Place was the only indoor mall left in Huntsville. Madison Square Mall, once its biggest competition, had shut down and was set for demolition.
The retail landscape was shifting. Parkway Place had an advantage—it was newer and designed with higher-end stores in mind—but staying relevant in the 2020s took more than polished floors and escalators.
Anchor stores still held their ground. Dillard’s spread across two floors, remained a steady draw while Belk filled the other end of the mall.
But inline tenants told a different story. Some stores thrived—Forever 21, Hibbett Sports, Shoe Dept. Encore, Torrid, American Eagle, and Build-A-Bear kept customers coming—but others came and went.
Then came 2020. COVID-19 shut down malls across the country. Parkway Place closed temporarily in March, reopening months later under new safety guidelines.
The impact lingered. Some stores never reopened, and food court traffic slowed. CBL & Associates, Parkway Place’s owner, faced financial struggles, filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2020.
The mall stayed open, but uncertainty grew.
Parkway Place Now: Expansion, Theft, and the Fight for Relevance
By mid-2024, Parkway Place had something to show off. Aur Society, a fashion brand making its retail debut, chose the mall for its first location.
Vintage Stock opened with shelves packed with video games, collectibles, and old-school media, pulling in longtime collectors and curious newcomers.
MINISO, a global retailer known for stylish home goods at budget prices, added an international edge to the mix.
New names, new energy—an attempt to keep Parkway Place relevant in a retail world that wasn’t waiting around.
But across the mall, a different kind of transaction played out. In December, two thieves made off with $2,000 worth of merchandise. A fast, clean exit was lost in the holiday rush before security could react.
The store’s employees were left sifting through surveillance footage, the same routine as a hundred other incidents in malls across the country. Huntsville police took the report.
Twenty years ago, opening a mall was about leasing space. Now, it’s about keeping people interested.
The new stores, the push for digital engagement, the balancing act of safety and commerce—every move Parkway Place is part of the same goal: staying relevant in a world where malls are disappearing.
What’s Next for Parkway Place?
Survival in the mall industry depends on adaptation. Parkway Place has lasted longer than many of its counterparts, but the pressures remain.
Department stores, once the backbone of mall shopping, are closing nationwide. Belk has struggled in other markets, while Dillard’s remains stable but faces an evolving retail landscape.
The question isn’t just whether Parkway Place can hold on—it’s whether it can evolve fast enough to stay relevant.
Huntsville is evolving. Bridge Street Town Centre, with its open-air layout and entertainment options, draws the crowds that once filled indoor malls.
Parkway Place isn’t the automatic choice anymore.
Although the days of every storefront being filled with national chains may be over, Parkway Place isn’t empty.
The food court still draws lunch crowds. Dillard’s still runs its seasonal sales.
For now, it’s still a place where Huntsville shops. What it looks like in five years—well, that depends on how fast it can adapt.