Img 0561 Closing, Jc Penney — Mobile’s JC Penney will close in September. (Liv George / The Bama Buzz)

Mobile’s struggling Shoppes at Bel Air (formerly the Bel Air Mall) is losing an anchor store—JCPenney. The store will close for good in September, leaving only 9 JCPenney locations in Alabama.

Keep reading for the details on the closure and more about the mall’s future.

Closing September 22

Img 0588 Closing, Jc Penney — Only this store is closing, according to a representative. (Liv George / The Bama Buzz)

According to a spokesperson for JCPenney, the Shoppes at Bel Air location will be shuttered by September 22. Liquidation sales are underway now and will continue for the next three months.

“Regretfully, we are unable to continue our current lease terms for this store location and have been unable to find another suitable location in the market.”
JCPenney spokesperson

JCPenney has been an anchor store in the Shoppes at Bel Air since it opened in 1974.

The remaining JCPenney locations in Alabama are in:

Alabaster
Dothan
Fultondale
Hoover
Montgomery
Oxford
Prattville
Trussville
Tuscaloosa

Future of Shoppes at Bel Air

Img 0575 Closing, Jc Penney — The Bel Air Mall was the biggest in Alabama until the 80s. (Liv George / The Bama Buzz)

The closure of Mobile’s only JCPenney is a symptom of a larger mall decline trend across the U.S. We see it in areas like Birmingham, with the Brookwood Village closure.

In its heyday of the late 80s/early 90s, the Bel Air Mall was the largest shopping mall in Alabama, with over 1M square feet of leasing space.

Efforts are underway to revitalize the Shoppes at Bel Air. Surge Entertainment by Drew Brees filled the former Parisian/Belk anchor space with bowling, arcade games, laser tag + more. The mall’s new owners, 4th Dimension Properties, are working to fill vacant restaurant and retail space around the mall.

Are you sad to see JC Penney leave the Shoppes at Bel Air? Let us know on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn!