EMJ Construction is proud to announce its partnership with Brookfield Properties on the Independence Mall redevelopment in Wilmington, N.C.
“We are honored to be selected for this project,” said Jeff Brewer, EMJ National Account Executive. “We previously built Mayfaire Town Center in Wilmington and are looking forward to again serving that community.”
Originally built in 1979, the traditional, enclosed Independence Mall is being revamped into an open-air, streetscape-style shopping experience. The new development will be called the Collection at Independence and include 126,000 square feet of new retail space, 15,000 square feet of restaurants, and a new indoor-outdoor food court area.
The initial project consists of tearing down a portion of the mall and a Sears anchor store, replacing them with new, outward-facing retail, 10 new restaurants, and a 25,000-square-foot grocery store.
The ultimate goal for EMJ on the project is to provide a new look for the development while ensuring safety for employees and customers of the mall. Independence Mall presents several construction challenges due to its size and typical foot traffic during the day.
“We are tearing apart an existing mall that’s going to remain in operation,” said EMJ Senior Preconstruction Manager Joe Woolums. “This requires careful planning and coordination to ensure both safety and no disruption to operations while we complete the demolition and redevelopment.”
Construction plans are in full swing, and the team hopes to begin demolition this fall and deliver the first retail spaces in mid-2019.
The redevelopment of traditional, enclosed malls is a growing trend in the retail industry. Read about EMJ’s work on the mall redevelopment at Cool Springs Galleria here, and learn more about our team’s retail experience here.