HOMEWOOD, Ala. (WBRC) – The escalators still run. The store signs are still up. The lights are still on. But the crowds are gone — and in a matter of days, Brookwood Village will be, too.
Our WBRC 6 News cameras got a final look inside the now-vacant mall just days before demolition is set to begin, capturing what remains of one of metro Birmingham’s most recognizable shopping destinations.
For years, the soundtrack inside Brookwood Village was the hum of thousands of simultaneous conversations — shoppers, families, holiday crowds. On a recent walk-through, the only sound was silence.
Escalators that once carried shoppers up to spend now run empty, descending into a vacant parking garage. The spot where visitors once grabbed an Angel Tree tag during the holiday season now offers an unobstructed view with no one around to take it in.
The mall’s food court — home to what was Alabama’s first-ever Chick-fil-A location — sits vacant, the last tray served years ago.
Store signs remain in place for retailers that once saw their busiest days inside these walls. Doors are still open. Lights are still on — all of it standing ready to welcome crowds that won’t be coming…