Regency Mall

Regency Mall, located in South Augusta, Georgia at 1700 Gordon Highway, was a major regional mall that played a significant role in the city's retail landscape. Developed by Edward J. DeBartolo and Associates, it was Augusta's first shopping mall, opening just one week before Augusta Mall. The mall operated from 1978 to 2002, and during that time, it boasted anchor stores like J.B. White (now Dillard's), Belk (signed as Belk-Howard), Montgomery Ward, and Cullum's (which later became Meyers-Arnold and then Upton's). Additionally, it featured a three-screen movie theater operated by General Cinema. 
Although Regency Mall was successful in its early years, its popularity began to wane in the 1990s as newer shopping centers opened in the area. Despite efforts to revive the mall with updates and renovations, declining sales and a changing retail landscape ultimately led to its closure in 2002.
Overall, Regency Mall's legacy as Augusta's first shopping mall and a significant retail destination during its heyday cannot be understated. However, its ultimate closure serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of staying relevant and adapting to changing consumer preferences in a rapidly evolving retail environment.
Regency Mall, as Augusta's first shopping mall, opened in 1978 and quickly established itself as a major regional shopping destination. Its anchor stores, such as J.B. White (now Dillard's), Belk, Montgomery Ward, and Cullum's, helped to draw in crowds of shoppers. However, despite its initial success, the mall struggled to adapt to changing market conditions, ultimately leading to its decline.
One significant factor that contributed to Regency Mall's decline was its location in an area with high crime rates. This led to security problems that deterred shoppers and made it challenging for the mall to attract new tenants. Additionally, the market was too small to support two shopping malls, and the mall's outdated facilities were never updated during its lifespan, making it less attractive to shoppers.
Regency Mall's decline accelerated in the 1990s when its anchor stores began to pull out. Montgomery Ward's closure in 2001, as the chain went bankrupt, was a significant blow to the mall. The rest of the mall soon followed suit and closed to the public, leaving the buildings' interiors mostly intact for years.
However, the mall's closure did not mark the end of its story. Instead, it became a haven for vandalism, arson, and trespassing by homeless people, transients, and squatters. The City of Augusta and Richmond County officials ordered the mall's owner to either fully secure the facility to bring it up to code or demolish it.
Regency Mall's buildings sit as empty shells today, with their interiors and those of its five anchor stores gutted of all combustible materials. The buildings are now being offered for lease, with demolition also being considered as an option for possible land redevelopment.
Despite its failed legacy, Regency Mall remains an important part of Augusta's retail history. Its rise and fall serve as a reminder of the challenges that shopping malls face in today's rapidly changing retail landscape. It also highlights the importance of adapting to changing consumer preferences and market conditions to remain successful over the long term.
Regency Mall's fate is a reflection of the larger retail industry's shift towards e-commerce and the changing shopping habits of consumers. As such, it provides valuable insights into how retail developers and operators can adapt to the changing landscape to remain relevant and profitable. Ultimately, Regency Mall's legacy serves as a reminder that the retail industry will continue to evolve, and only those who can adapt to these changes will be able to succeed in the long run.
== History ==
=== Development (1978–1980s) ===
It is interesting to note that Regency Mall was not just a standalone shopping mall, but it was part of a larger development plan called "Regency Square." This plan included condominiums, a shopping plaza, and a hotel, indicating that the developers had a broader vision for the area.
Frank Barrios, the first manager for Regency Mall, explained in 1978 that the mall's location was carefully chosen due to its accessibility and its central location in the Central Savannah River Area. The mall was situated at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Gordon Highway, which made it an ideal spot as it was at the heart of the region's population.
Construction began in 1976, and the mall opened its doors in 1978 with four anchor stores: Montgomery Ward, Belk, J.B. White, and Cullum's.
The developers carefully selected the mall's location at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Gordon Highway, which was strategic due to its accessibility and centrality to the Central Savannah River Area. In fact, Frank Barrios, the first manager for Regency Mall, noted in 1978 that the mall's location was chosen with great care to ensure its success.
Interestingly, JCPenney considered building a store at Regency Mall but ultimately decided to locate at Augusta Mall instead. This decision may have had an impact on Regency Mall's success, as JCPenney was a major department store at the time and would have attracted additional foot traffic to the mall.
Regency Mall was known for its unique Y-shaped layout, which provided convenient ground-level entrances to both the upper and lower levels. The mall's designers also incorporated a terraced landscape around the building to enhance its aesthetic appeal. Upon entering, shoppers were greeted by an elegant alabaster motif accented with brown details, and the floors were finished in brown-speckled terrazzo tile. To bring the outdoors inside, live trees were planted along the lower-level concourses. The mall's three wings converged at a stunning center court, spanning an impressive 28,000 square feet (2,600 m2), featuring majestic 45-foot (14 m) pillars. The center court also included a fountain, a 28-foot (9 m) clock tower, and a stage area with luxurious brown tile flooring. At the time of its opening, Regency Mall was Georgia's largest enclosed shopping mall, covering over 800,000 square feet (70,000 m2) and setting a new standard for shopping centers in the region.
Regency Mall's highly anticipated grand opening took place on July 27, 1978, with over 70 of its 139 scheduled stores ready to welcome customers. The mall's atmosphere was electric, with eager shoppers and excited employees filling the corridors. As the smaller stores continued to open over the following weeks, Regency Mall quickly became a bustling retail hub. One of the mall's anchor stores, Cullum's, was still under construction at the time of the grand opening and did not open until later in 1978. Similarly, Belk's Regency Mall store was not completed until the following year in 1979, but it quickly became a popular shopping destination for the mall's patrons. The unique Y-shaped layout, elegant interior design, and live trees planted throughout the mall made Regency Mall a truly special place to shop.
Augusta Mall, located about seven miles (11 km) away from Regency Mall, opened its doors for business on August 3, 1978, after several years in the planning stages. The mall was developed by the Rouse Company, but its construction had been delayed due to economic uncertainty. Despite being smaller than Regency Mall, with only 100 stores and two anchor stores (Rich's and Davison's, both Atlanta-based chains), Augusta Mall proved to be a successful retail destination in the region. In contrast, Regency Mall had a more diverse mix of Georgia-based and national chains as anchor stores.
Both malls attracted large retailers who closed their downtown stores and moved to the malls, while smaller stores also opened outlets in one or both malls. They both enjoyed success throughout the 1970s and much of the 1980s.
=== Trouble ahead (1990s) ===
However, during the 1990s, the location of Regency Mall became a challenge. Augusta Mall's central location drew shoppers from the central and western parts of Augusta, while Regency Mall's location in the south of Augusta made it less accessible to these areas. This, coupled with the rise of suburban shopping centers, led to a decline in Regency Mall's popularity.
The lack of easy accessibility to Regency Mall proved to be a significant obstacle to its success. Unlike Augusta Mall, which was conveniently located off the Bobby Jones Expressway (I-520) and approximately two miles from Interstate 20, Regency Mall was not situated near any expressways or interstate highways. Instead, it was located at the intersection of two traditional highways, in a part of town that was experiencing economic decline.
The security issues at Regency Mall began to escalate in the 1980s and reached a point where visitors felt unsafe. Both Augusta Mall and Regency Mall had faced security problems by 1985. However, in March 1986, a tragic incident occurred at Regency Mall when a 16-year-old was abducted from a parking lot, raped, shot four times, and her body was found several days later near Hephzibah, Ga. This incident drew widespread attention and raised concerns about the mall's security measures. Three years later, another violent incident occurred at Regency Mall when an 18-year-old woman was shot by a man who was hiding in the back seat of her car, leaving her paralyzed. Her family filed a lawsuit against DeBartolo, the company that owned Regency Mall, claiming that the mall's security measures were inadequate. These incidents contributed to a perception that Regency Mall was not a safe place to visit.
In 1990, Augusta Mall completed an impressive $32 million renovation and expansion that dealt a significant blow to Regency Mall. The renovation included a stunning new Sears store as its centerpiece, which replaced the chain's freestanding store near Broad street at the intersection of Walton Way and 15th Street. The interior of Augusta Mall was also updated and expanded, increasing the number of stores from around 90 to over 130. On the other hand, Regency Mall remained virtually unchanged from its original design, with an outdated interior that seemed dark and uninviting compared to its revitalized rival. Despite DeBartolo's hope for a new fifth anchor store, Augusta Mall's superior location, renovation, and growth propelled it to become the leading mall in the region.
=== Decline (1993–1999) ===
Regency Mall faced its first anchor store closure in April 1993 when Upton's shut down. This space was originally intended for Cullum's, which had opened late in 1978. By the end of 1993, seven additional stores had closed. Merchants leaving the mall stated that there was not enough foot traffic to sustain business and that the mall's management was not supportive. One merchant remarked that the mall did not have a future in its current state. Although some new businesses opened, they were mostly small businesses rather than established franchises. For instance, a comic book store took over a vacant store on the second level. Despite these efforts, the mall was gradually becoming deserted.
In 1995, DeBartolo Family Associates transferred ownership of Regency Mall to mortgage holder Equitable Real Estate, with a $12.5 million debt forgiven as part of the deal. Two years later, the mall was sold to Regency Mall, LLC, a company formed by developers Haywood Whichard and Paul Woo who were experienced in buying and reselling distressed mall properties. Despite the mall's $33.5 million value in 1991 tax records, Whichard and Woo purchased it for only $4.15 million. In an effort to attract new tenants, they set lease rates as low as $3.50 per square foot, significantly lower than the $9-$18 per square foot charged elsewhere in the area. However, despite a few businesses moving in, the mall continued to lose tenants and Whichard and Woo recognized the need for renovations to attract new tenants. Unfortunately, they were not willing to take the financial risk of the estimated $15-$30 million required for such renovations.
Regency Mall continued to suffer from tenant loss and financial difficulties. In 1996, Belk closed its Outlet Center at the mall, and General Cinema followed suit by closing its three-screen theater. The situation only worsened when JB White closed its store at Regency Mall in 1998 and relocated to Augusta Mall, leaving Montgomery Ward as the only remaining anchor. With few tenants left, the mall's management took cost-cutting measures such as boarding up store entrances, turning off escalators, and reducing hours of operation, but it was not enough to turn the mall's fortunes around. Despite lowering lease rates to as low as $3.50 per square foot, occupancy remained at most 35 percent, and the mall continued to lose money every day it was open.
In the mid-1990s, local government officials considered Regency Mall as a possible location for city and county operations, but their efforts did not come to fruition. Two years later, another proposal emerged to consolidate all of Augusta-Richmond County's government operations at the mall and convert the Belk building into a court facility. However, critics of the plan argued that it would contradict efforts to revitalize downtown and the riverfront areas, and the $90 million proposal was ultimately scrapped. Despite these efforts, the mall continued to struggle, and its occupancy rate remained low.
In early 1999, there were reports of a potential sale of Regency Mall to a developer who planned to convert it into an outlet mall. However, despite rumors that the mall had been sold to AMC Development and that upscale retailers such as FAO Schwartz and Nike were relocating there, the sale never went through. The Whichard-Woo partnership attempted to sell the property at auction, but bids only reached as high as $2.3 million. Haywood Whichard bought out Paul Woo's share in an April 1999 foreclosure auction for $2.7 million, but Woo continued to manage the property. Whichard then unsuccessfully attempted to sell the property to Augusta-Richmond County. Some of the vacant store space was temporarily used by organizers of the Georgia Games.
=== The end (2000–2003) ===
In December 2000, Montgomery Ward's parent company announced that it would be closing all remaining stores in 2001, including the one at Regency Mall. Despite this, Regency Mall's management initially stated that the mall would remain open. However, as time passed, the number of stores and offices in operation dwindled. By the end of 2001, only a handful of businesses remained, including Foot Locker, International Formal Wear, a teen clinic, and a substation for the Richmond County Marshals Department. Foot Locker closed its Regency Mall location later that year, and the teen clinic followed suit. International Formal Wear, one of the mall's original tenants from 1978, also closed its Regency Mall shop and relocated to a Wrightsboro Road storefront. Ultimately, only the county marshals' substation remained open. While the mall concourse was still used for some events, the majority of the stores had been closed for some time. Finally, at the beginning of 2002, Regency Mall was officially closed and boarded up, no longer open to the public. However, the county marshals' substation remained operational.
In 2002, Regency Mall was sold by Whichard to Cardinal Entities for $3.5 million, with the exception of the Montgomery Ward building which was sold to Commercial Property Holdings. Cardinal had ambitious plans to revitalize the mall, including offering a lease-purchase package to Augusta-Richmond County for office space and attracting new tenants. They also planned to update the food court. However, these plans were put on hold after the government decided not to move offices to the mall. In early 2003, Cardinal stopped their efforts to market the mall and chose to keep it closed indefinitely.
Over the following years, there were disagreements between Cardinal and the county's licensing and inspection department regarding the mall's upkeep. The government claimed that Cardinal had not properly maintained the property, but Cardinal's property manager argued that the mall had a full-time maintenance worker and that a crew had repaired a leaky roof and cleaned up mold.
=== A cloudy future (1999–present) ===
Many ideas for the future of Regency Mall have been proposed over the last decade. Though the mall has suffered from vandalism and exterior deterioration, it remains structurally sound. Cardinal Entities estimates the property's value at $30 to $40 million, but its property manager has said there has been little interest in the property. There is a general consensus that Regency Mall will most likely never again operate as a major regional shopping center, and that it will either be adapted to new use or demolished to make way for another project.
One proposal for Regency Mall's reuse grew out of a series of public forums in 1999 and 2000. This plan would have redeveloped the mall into a combination of park and retail space arranged in a "village" streetscape format. The enclosed mall concourse would have been demolished, and the large anchor stores would have been reconfigured into shopping and office space with restyled facades. Other new buildings would have been constructed; the basin of Rocky Creek, walled into a concrete viaduct when the mall was built, would have been restored to a more natural appearance; and park and recreation space would have been made part of the site. This proposal, however, did not come to pass.
The Regency Mall property was also proposed as the site of a civic arena. However, Augusta-Richmond County voters defeated a local-option sales tax issue in 2004 that would have funded construction of a sports arena on the Regency Mall site.
In July 2006, Macedonia Baptist Church of Augusta announced that it had secured a lease-purchase agreement on the former Montgomery Ward building and 15 acres (61,000 m2) of parking. The church revealed plans to turn the building into a sanctuary for up to 3,000 worshippers, a gymnasium, classrooms, a bookstore and a coffee shop. Pastor Dr. Gregory Fuller told the Augusta Chronicle that the church was in negotiations with the owners of the rest of the mall, and that "Our hope and aim is to possess the entire mall." However, the plan did not come to pass. In 2007, Cardinal purchased the Montgomery Ward property, thereby completing its purchase of the entire mall.
The future of Regency Mall has been a frequent issue in Augusta-Richmond County elections. Helen Blocker-Adams, a 2006 candidate for Georgia House District 120 against incumbent Quincy Murphy, made the revitalization of Regency Mall the centerpiece of her campaign. In December 2008, Augusta-Richmond County made a proposal to use $8 million from the next phase of Augusta's Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) to demolish the mall and clear the property for development. Tax dollars would be used only for demolition. More recently, the mall property's proximity to Rocky Creek, which lies in a "priority corridor" of the Augusta master plan, has prompted efforts by local officials to seek the property's redevelopment.
Regency Mall's troubles continued when its last remaining tenant, the county marshals' substation, moved out in March 2011. The following June, county inspectors conducted a survey of the mall's interior to determine if it was in violation of Augusta-Richmond County's abandoned properties ordinance. While they found evidence of vandalism, there was no sign of mold.
Despite the county's efforts to redevelop the property, Cardinal Entities continued to market Regency Mall for $52.5 million. While the company claimed that several firms had expressed interest, no buyer had yet come forward. The ongoing dispute between Cardinal and the county's licensing and inspection department regarding the mall's condition did not help its chances of finding a buyer or being redeveloped.
In August 2012, WRDW-TV reported that small fires had been set on the property of Regency Mall. In an effort to showcase the ease of accessing the abandoned shopping center, a reporter and cameraman from the television station entered the mall without permission to capture footage.
In December 2013, the City of Augusta and Richmond County officials took action to prevent further vandalism and fires at Regency Mall, which had become a haven for homeless people, transients, and squatters. The officials ordered the mall's owner to either secure the facility and bring it up to 2013-2014 Richmond County and City of Augusta fire codes or demolish it. As a result, the mall's entire interior, along with the interiors of its five anchor store buildings, was completely gutted of all combustible materials, mechanical and electrical equipment, wiring and systems, plumbing fixtures, pipes, interior walls and doors, store fronts and gates, elevator cars, motors, hydraulics, escalators, HVAC unit systems, boilers, pumps, emergency generators, and electronic equipment.
The result was an empty shell, with nothing but the internal concrete and steel skeletal structure remaining. The extensive demolition has left extremely large wide-open spaces inside, as can be seen in videos and photos posted by urban explorers on YouTube and dead and abandoned mall websites. All of the outside entrances to the five anchor stores and to the actual mall sections have been cinder-blocked off, and the entire building is being offered for lease, with demolition also being offered as an option for possible property and surrounding land and area redevelopment.
In August 2017, the Regency Mall property was announced as one of the five potential locations for the new James Brown Arena. However, as of December 2017, no deal had been finalized and negotiations were ongoing. In early 2018, the mall's owners began unauthorized demolition of the parking lot, which was subsequently stopped by the city of Augusta.
== Former tenants ==
Former Anchor tenants were:
* Upton's
* Ruben's (Opened 1978, Closed 1982)
* Cullum's (Opened 1984, Closed 1987)
* Belk (Opened 1979, Closed 1996)
* General Cinema (Opened 1978, Closed 1996)
* JB White (Opened 1978, Closed 1998)
* Montgomery Ward (Opened 1978, Closed 2001, Due to bankruptcy)
== Considered tenants ==
Anchor tenants that considered being at the mall but did not were:
* JCPenney
Category:Abandoned malls
Category:Dead Malls
Category:Defunct malls
Category:Malls that opened in 1978
Category:1978
Category:Malls in Georgia
Category:Malls in the United States
Category:Regional malls
Category:Shopping Malls
Category:J.B. White Locations
Category:Cullum's Locations
Category:Meyers Arnold Locations
Category:Uptons Locations
Category:Former General Cinemas-anchored Properties
Category:Former Wards-anchored Malls
Category:Former Belk-anchored Malls
Category:Former Dillard's-anchored Malls