Brookwood Redevelopment: Fairway Announces Timeline for Mixed-Use Concept

Fairway Investments of Birmingham will release details on a mixed-use concept for the former Brookwood Village mall site later this year. The project will replace the 1970s-era indoor shopping center with a walkable, open-air destination. The plan combines medical, office, and retail space with green areas designed for evening use.

Demolition of the existing structure is expected to continue through December. Fairway partnered with Pope & Land Real Estate of Atlanta to acquire the 57-acre property in 2021. The site spans three jurisdictions: Homewood, Mountain Brook, and Jefferson County. This geographic split creates a complex regulatory environment for the development team.

Mountain Brook Mayor Graham Smith stated that the project is in the early stages of discussion. He noted that legal hurdles, council authorization, and multiple votes are required before any finalization. "There is movement," Smith said. "The developers are working on their end, but these things require legal hurdles, council authorization, multiple votes. We’re in discussion on all of it, but we have not finalized anything."

Sims Garrison, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Fairway Investments, emphasized a focus on quality over speed. "We want to try very hard to make sure we’re doing it right as opposed to fast," Garrison said. He described the goal as creating a best-in-class mixed-use project.

Homewood Mayor Jennifer Andress, a resident who lives across from the site, confirmed that public input will occur at multiple levels. She clarified that no decisions are being made behind closed doors. Both Andress and Smith identified key priorities for the project. These include attractive design, traffic management, public green space, and trails. They also want to ensure the area remains a place the community supports.

Local leaders are concerned that new retail space will not cannibalize existing small businesses. Smith said Fairway has reviewed the history and composition of local villages to protect current merchants. "[Fairway] has done a really nice job of looking at our history and the composition of our existing villages to make sure that whatever they look to do does not cannibalize any of our small businesses," Smith said. "That is critical to us."

Revenue sharing between the municipalities remains undetermined. In November 2025, it was announced that the former Belk store would become a $124 million Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Center. That facility is expected to open in 2027. Andress hopes the broader redevelopment includes green space, trails, public gathering areas, midsize meeting facilities, and potentially a hotel. "We want to make sure we get it right, not for Homewood, but for the entire region," Andress said. "I want to see it engaged and used, and loved and beautified and natural."