AIKEN – The Aiken Mall will be getting a new lease on life as a mixed-use property.
The new plan, revealed at the Aiken Chamber of Commerce’s First Friday event Friday, March 4, shows retail spaces, a 261-unit multi-family complex, a hotel, a park, an amphitheater and a walking trail.
“The combination of a live-work-play model along with unique shopping opportunities will make the site a destination location for CSRA residents,” said Stuart Bedenbaugh, Aiken’s city manager.
The development will have a public park or what Bedenbaugh called a “passive recreation space,” and it will be well-landscaped.
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“County council passed a multi county business park tax incentive in 2017 (for this). The city purchased a portion of the perimeter totaling 0.93 miles in 2018 for $1 million, and Southeastern will construct a walking track that ultimately the city will maintain,” he said.
The Aiken Mall closed several years ago and has been in the process of demolition, but not all of the structure will be removed.
“Belk will remain in the current location with a renovated store and new façade. We are preserving the former Dillard’s men’s store… and hope to be able to announce a new user for that location soon. The rest of the retail will be newly constructed buildings at the entrance to the property and along the central park,” said Jason Long, vice president of Southeastern Development Associates of Augusta, the developer for the property. “Belk will just be given a new facade and refreshed.”
Some eco-friendly approaches are being utilized for the property, including refurbishing Belk instead of tearing it down, and something many outside the construction business may not have thought of.
“We are going to crush the rest of the mall’s slab on-site and reuse that,” said Long.
No other anchor stores of Aiken Mall except Belk are staying, and Books-A-Million may not be returning. However, there is potential for an additional, new anchor store in the 40,000 square feet where Dillard’s men’s store was.
The new space will have an open-air concept, according to Long.
“Before, the entire mall space was 400,000 square feet and that took a lot to air condition and heat and the open concept for the village-style mall would reduce energy cost,” he said. “The primary eco-friendly component will be converting this from an enclosed mall to an outdoor center around a central park. This provides much more green space than the former mall. We will also have a walking trail around the perimeter of the property.”
The amphitheater will be another open concept. Bedenbaugh said the amphitheater in the development will be designed for smaller scale events, not touring bands or large concerts.
But not everyone has as much enthusiasm for the project.
John Gregg, CSRA Aiken chairman and a business mentor for the SCORE program, has 23 years of business experience.
“To me, this project is a housing development, not a mall redevelopment. I understand why the developer proposed this; it appears to be the only way they can make any money on this project,” Gregg said.
He also expressed concern about traffic in that area of Aiken.
“The frontage on Whiskey Road is grossly overcrowded now. I can’t imagine another 500–600 cars every day. Fix the road first,” he said.
Bedenbaugh responded to the traffic question.
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“The City of Aiken is pursuing construction of a connector road from Whiskey Road [across from the Mall behind Cracker Barrel] over to Powderhouse Road and that will decrease traffic on that portion of Whiskey Road by over 20%,” he said.
Gregg also hopes that the restaurants brought into this development aren’t more fast food or casual chains.
“Aiken is overwhelmed with chain restaurants that are universally awful. I would like to see some local restaurateurs there, much like Broad Street in Augusta, but there was no mention of that at the (Chamber of Commerce) briefing. Very disappointing,” he said.
Looking from across the river is another businessperson who feels this could be a good project of Aiken.
“I did not know the developer was from Augusta, Ga. That is a plus because we (stakeholders) are familiar with the work and ideals of development. I am excited for Aiken. This development and many others to come will be great for the area,” said Cynthia Rhodes of Rhodes Porter, a business development and logistics company in Augusta. “Aiken needed this development. The mall has been vacant. It is time for it to upgrade and shift as many small businesses have.”
The final price tag on this project is not yet known.
“We are still finalizing plans for bidding the project, so we are not able to share cost numbers at this time,” Long said.
Ron Baxley Jr. is a correspondent for The Augusta Press.
