Consultants recommend mixed‑use rebuild and performing‑arts anchor for Riverchase Galleria

Hunden Partners presented a market feasibility and redevelopment strategy for the Riverchase Galleria to the Hoover City Council, recommending a phased conversion to a mixed‑use, walkable center anchored by modern housing, ground‑floor retail and a performing‑arts venue.

The consultants said visitation to the Galleria has fallen about 33% from 2019 and that a comparison of historical sales‑tax collections shows a long‑term revenue shortfall. “There is an opportunity cost here,” Steve Hammerly, executive vice president at Hunden Partners, told the council. He said the presentation compared 2007 sales‑tax collections (inflated to 2024 dollars) with 2024 collections and described the results as “approximately $75,000,000 loss in revenue to the city of Hoover” and, in the slide commentary, “about an 8 and a half million dollar loss” for 2024.

Why this matters: the study frames the Galleria as a centrally located property with strong highway visibility but outdated mall configuration that depresses retail performance. Hunden Partners said the right mix of uses could restore economic activity and create a “downtown” for Hoover, but that private developers will require public commitments or incentives to close financing gaps.

Key recommendations and findings - Reduce the mall’s large volume of retail space and introduce residential development: Hunden’s conceptual Phase 1 shows about 282 residential units with about 28,000 square feet of ground‑floor retail and an activated central green space. Phase 2 envisions roughly 250 additional units and another 16,000 square feet of retail. - Add a performing‑arts center: the consultants suggested locating a 2,000+ seat performing‑arts facility on site; Hunden estimated the performing‑arts center’s cost at roughly $50 million (presentation figure). - Costs and feasibility: Hunden Partners provided preliminary pro formas and cost inputs: about $85 million in private construction costs for Phase 1 (apartments), roughly $10 million in related infrastructure, and a higher cost for Phase 2 (presentation cited approximately $88 million construction and about $7 million infrastructure). The consultants said commercial retail still shows a feasibility gap that could require public support. - Phasing and land availability: the firm emphasized that the city does not own the key parcels at the Galleria and that implementation depends on cooperation with current property owners, including the possibility of acquiring the former Sears box for redevelopment.

Council questions and consultant responses Council members asked about transit, stormwater amenities, vacancy rates and the local apartment market. Hammerly and colleague Nick Ferrisi said the study was not a transit or hydrology study and that many comparable redevelopments relied primarily on road access (and available parking) rather than new regional transit. Ferrisi reported a roughly 12.6% overall apartment vacancy in the Hoover submarket, noting that newer, amenity‑rich walkable buildings were performing much better than older garden‑style complexes.

Hunden Partners also described a concept for using excess parking to lower residential project costs and recommended that the city consider options such as land acquisition, infrastructure reimbursements or tax incentives to catalyze private investment.

Next steps Hunden Partners said the full study will be uploaded to the City of Hoover economic development website under the Hoover studies tab. The consultants recommended that the city begin exploratory conversations with existing landowners and develop a business plan for any public performing‑arts commitment to improve the site’s marketability.

Ending Council members thanked the consultants and asked for follow‑up details and a full report. Several public commenters at the meeting urged careful consideration of housing type and suggested adding public safety presence or locating city facilities at the site to strengthen redevelopment prospects.