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TONIGHT WE’RE CONTINUING OUR INVESTIGATION INTO THE RISE AND FALL OF MALLS IN CENTRAL ALABAMA. NOW, MANY MALLS AND SHOPPING CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE FIGHTING TO STAY RELEVANT, BUT SOME ARE ACTUALLY THRIVING. �������� 13 SCOTT CARPENTER INVESTIGATING WHY SHOPPING CENTERS ARE SOARING ABOVE THE COMPETITION. AND HE SHARES WHAT’S WORKING FOR MIDTOWN VILLAGE IN TUSCALOOSA AND THE SUMMIT IN BIRMINGHAM. WE DO GO TO THE SUMMIT SOME, THOUGH. YEAH, SUMMIT IS GREAT ONLINE SHOPPING IS BECOMING MORE POPULAR, LEADING TO MORE CHALLENGES FOR BRICK AND MORTAR STORES. BUT IF YOU ASK ANYBODY ON THE STREET WHERE THEY LIKE TO SHOP, THEY SAY THE SUMMIT. IT FEELS LIKE A VIBRANT PLACE. ABBY BRUNSON SAYS SHE’S BEEN GOING TO THE SUMMIT SINCE SHE LIVED IN DOTHAN. I WOULD DRIVE A COUPLE OF HOURS TO THE SUMMIT. THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THE OWNERS OF THE SUMMIT SET OUT TO DO IN THE 1990S. OUR GOAL DAY ONE WAS TO BRING RETAIL THAT WAS NOT HERE. THAT SHOULD BE HERE. I BET YOU WE HAVE SOME 30 OR 40 STORES HERE THAT DO NOT HAVE SECOND LOCATIONS IN BIRMINGHAM, AND MANY OF THEM ARE NOT IN THE STATE. STORES LIKE TRAVIS, MATTHEW UNTUCKIT AND THE BRAND NEW PETER MILLER STORE ARE UNIQUE IN ALABAMA. THE ONLY PLACE YOU CAN FIND THEM IN THE STATE IS IN THE SUMMIT. SUMMIT OWNERS JEFFREY BAYER AND DAVID SILVERSTEIN SAY THEY’RE UNIQUE AND LUXURY STORES DRAW SHOPPERS FROM ALL OVER THE REGION. BEFORE THE SUMMIT, THIS KIND OF UPSCALE SHOPPING DEMANDED A ROAD TRIP. THERE WAS A LOT OF SALES TAX LEAKAGE COMING FROM BIRMINGHAM TO SHOP IN ATLANTA. AND IT’S NOT JUST SHOPPING. THE SUMMIT HAS DINING AND ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS. SEVERAL SPECIALTY AND FINE DINING RESTAURANTS FILL THE OPEN AIR MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT. THERE’S ALSO AN AMC THEATER. THE GOAL IS TO HAVE PEOPLE COME HERE AND DO IT ALL. SILVERSTEIN SAYS EVEN THE SCENERY PLAYS A ROLE. WE FOCUS ON MAKING SURE THE LANDSCAPING IS BEAUTIFUL. IT’S VERY CLEAN AND SAFE AND IT’S NOT JUST THE SUMMIT THAT’S BENEFITING FROM THEIR OWN SUCCESS. THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM GETS A SHARE AS WELL. TODAY, THE SUMMIT PRODUCES A LITTLE OVER $15 MILLION, PERHAPS $16 MILLION OF SALES TAX REVENUE. THAT GOES INTO THE GENERAL FUND OF THE CITY. THAT’S RIGHT, $16 MILLION IN SALES TAX REVENUE. FOR PERSPECTIVE, OVER THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, BIRMINGHAM MADE $147 MILLION OFF SALES TAX, WHICH MEANS THE SUMMIT MAKES UP ABOUT 11% OF THE CITY’S TOTAL SALES TAX REVENUE. AND THERE’S MORE IN THE WORKS. BAYER SAYS THEY’RE CONSTANTLY WORKING TO MAKE THE SUMMIT A DESIRABLE STOP FOR PEOPLE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. IT DOES PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO COME TO AN TO AN ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU WOULD FIND IN OTHER MAJOR CITIES AND THAT WAS THE GOAL ALL ALONG TO GIVE BIRMINGHAM SOMETHING THAT ALLOWED IT TO COMPETE WITH ATLANTA, NASHVILLE, CHARLOTTE, OTHER SOUTHERN CITIES. MIDTOWN VILLAGE IN TUSCALOOSA IS ALSO AN OPEN AIR SHOPPING CONCEPT. A DIRECT CONTRAST FROM THE INDOOR UNIVERSITY MALL ACROSS THE STREET. HOLLY AND BEMIS BELIEVES IT PLAYS A FACTOR FOR THE 75,000 PEOPLE THAT DRIVE DOWN THIS SPOT ON MCFARLAND BOULEVARD EVERY DAY. AND THAT’S ANOTHER THING ABOUT SEEING AN OUTDOOR MALL VERSUS AN INDOOR MALL. WHENEVER YOU’RE PASSING THROUGH, YOU’RE GOING TO SEE MIDTOWN VILLAGE. YOU’RE NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, VERSUS AN INDOOR MALL. YOU’RE NOT GOING TO SEE WHAT ALL THE INDOOR MALL HAS TO OFFER. BEMIS SAYS THIS OPEN SPACE WITH A PLAYGROUND ALSO HELPS DRAW SHOPPERS. SHE SAYS THEY PUT ON SEVERAL LARGE EVENTS RIGHT HERE EVERY YEAR. AFTER EACH EVENT, I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE RETAILERS AND THEY ALWAYS SEEM TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, MORE FOOT TRAFFIC THAN NORMAL DURING THESE EVENTS. PLACER.AI IS A COMPANY THAT PROVIDES LOCATION ANALYTICS. THEY SAY OUTDOOR SHOPPING CENTERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE SEEING A 6% INCREASE IN FOOT TRAFFIC FROM LAST YEAR, WHILE MIDTOWN VILLAGE SAYS THEY PUT ON SEVERAL LARGE OUTDOOR EVENTS A YEAR AND THE OWNERS OF THE SUMMIT SAY THEY HAVE PLANS TO KEEP GROWING IN THE FUTURE. TOMORROW NIGHT, I’LL SHOW YOU HOW ONE MALL IS OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW. HOW MCFARLAND BOULEVARD IN TUSCALOOSA IS ABOUT TO SEE A RETAIL REVIVAL. THAT’S TOMORROW NIGHT AT TE