By Anne Ruisi
Some type of health care facility could be in the Riverchase Galleria’s future, as Hoover city officials look into redevelopment of the largest enclosed mall in Alabama and the adjacent Patton Creek shopping center.
The city’s Health Care Authority has hired an attorney with expertise in the health care industry to prepare the paperwork for a Certificate of Need, which is required by the state, Mayor Frank Brocato said.
“It’s interesting. Hoover is the sixth-largest city in the state. We’re a city of 100,000 and need a medical facility,” the mayor said.
A Certificate of Need affirms that a proposed health care facility is needed in an area after looking at other facilities in the vicinity. Brocato said it’s clear Hoover needs one.
The proposal is part of the city’s comprehensive plan, which maps growth and opportunities for redevelopment. The Galleria and Patton Creek are two well-established commercial developments that are important to the city as major contributors to Hoover’s commercial tax base, Brocato said.
The vacant Sears store at the Galleria offers an opportunity for redevelopment.
“We have the Sears store and looked at how it could be filled. We believe it is a great place for a great health care facility,” the mayor said, adding that the city is also studying what type of facility would best fit the site.
The Galleria offers remarkable opportunities as the footprint of retail changes, with plenty of parking and excellent travel access, Brocato said.
Two ideas that have been discussed are transforming the vacant Sears store into a large surgical center or a small center for overnight stays following procedures.
“We’ve talked to physicians and health administrators. So many things are moving out to surgical centers,” he said.
Having such a facility at the mall would benefit people who accompany someone undergoing a procedure by giving them something to do, the mayor said.
Developing health care facilities is a national trend in retail centers as owners look for new ways to use vacant space left by closed big box stores such as Sears, which once was the largest retailer in the country.
That Hoover would like a medical facility there by no means signifies the Galleria is failing, Brocato said.
“It’s not dying” and remains “very vibrant,” with 6 million cars carrying shoppers visiting a year, Brocato said.
“We know retail is changing, he said. “I see every weekend people from all over the state there and it’s not unusual to see tour buses,” he said.
Plans for the Galleria are among the ideas being studied as part of the overall redevelopment of the U.S. 31 and Alabama 150 corridors, the mayor said. A state-of-the-art performing arts center, for example, is one proposal that has a lot of community support.
Hoover also is working with Patton Creek’s owner to develop proposals for Patton Creek, which the city hopes to roll out later this year or by next summer.
“It’s still a work in progress,” Brocato said.
