Img 8585 Downtown Mobile, Gayfers — One of the most iconic buildings in downtown Mobile has sat vacant for decades. (Liv George / The Bama Buzz)

After sitting blighted for the past 25+ years, the Gayfers Building in downtown Mobile is set to have a facelift. Or, at least, that’s what the realtors who listed the 92,000-square-foot facility are hoping for.

With a $4.2M price tag, the historic building is looking for new owners to take over and revitalize the space.

Keep reading for a deep dive into the building listing.

$4.2 Million

Img 8546 Downtown Mobile, Gayfers — For just $4M, the Gayfers building could be yours. (Liv George / The Bama Buzz)

Folks have been a-buzz on social media since “For Sale” signs popped up along the huge Gayfers building, which takes up a sizeable chunk of real estate along Dauphin Street in downtown Mobile.

Since 1985 when Gayfers closed, every city discussion of “what to do with downtown” has centered around the gigantic, now-blighted building. In the 20-teens, an initiative to turn the building into affordable housing downtown gained traction.

That was shot down by the city council—leaving the building to fall into a further state of disrepair.

Now, the building is up on the market for a whopping $4.2 million.

Here are a few fast facts about the listing:

Size: 92,800-square feet
Zoning: T5.2, mixed-use (option for multiple storefronts)
Streets nearby: Dauphin, Conti, Conception, St Emanuel
Landmarks nearby: Bienville Square + Saenger Theatre
Dive into the listing

Relic of a different downtown

Img 8569 Downtown Mobile, Gayfers — You can still see the Gayfers logo on the side. (Liv George / The Bama Buzz)

The Gayfers Building sitting vacant is almost poetic—a capsule from an era of shopping that’s been shirked by the popularity of Amazon Prime’s two-day shipping and online shopping trends.

Even the idea of a department store downtown seems odd now, but that was the reality for thousands of Mobilians. Many folks still remember doing their back-to-school clothes shopping at Gayfers or registering for their wedding there.

Img 8516 2 3 Downtown Mobile, Gayfers — The view of the Gayfers building from Dauphin Street. (Liv George / The Bama Buzz)

The legacy was started by C.J. Gayfer, who immigrated to Mobile from the UK after the Civil War. Gayfer would be known for his philanthropy and as one of the first adopters of employee healthcare benefits.

The store blossomed from his little alcove on Dauphin Street to one of the largest department stores in the Southeast, with stores from Miami to Houston. Gayfers was sold to Mercantile Stores Company, Inc. in 1950 and bought again by Dillards in 1998.

What do you want to see in the Gayfers building downtown? Let us know on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn!