Biggs Park Mall in Lumberton is renovating and expanding with TJ Maxx, Burlington and Five Below adding new stores. Longtime retailers Belk, Maurice’s, Shoe Show, Tomlinson’s, Bath & Body Works are renovating their stores as part of an $18 million project at the mall, which is near the intersection of Interstate 95 and U.S. 211.
A groundbreaking is scheduled for Feb. 16.
The redevelopment is the latest adaptation to changing retail demands by longtime property owners K.M. Biggs Inc. The Biggs family started a mercantile business in downtown Lumberton in 1903 with K.M. Biggs as sole proprietor. The business was incorporated in 1934, with early operations focused on grocery, hardware and agricultural supply services.
In 1957, the family formed Biggs Park Inc., to develop a 22-acre property near the city’s Tanglewood residential area. Five years later, the development welcomed retailers including Woods Stores, Winn-Dixie, Sherwin-Williams, Shoe Show, JCPenney, and Sugars Men’s Store. The family also operated a Biggs Store at the time.
In 1984, the Biggs business replaced part of the traditional strip center with Robeson County’s first and only enclosed mall. It had anchor stores Belk, Tomlinson, and JCPenney, along with national tenants such as Waldenbooks, Foot Locker and Radio Shack.
Now, with a resurgence of open-air shopping centers, Biggs Park Mall plans to retain a smaller enclosed area for seasonal events, while enabling new retailers to occupy the former JCPenney space.
Joe Maguire, principal of Charlotte-based Carolina Commercial, led the effort to attract retailers to the development, the company said in a release.
Ashland Construction of Charlotte is the general contractor, Bondurant & Associates of Portsmouth, Virginia, is the architect and Pembroke-based Lumbee Guaranty Bank is providing financing.
David Mildenberg is editor of Business North Carolina. Reach him at dmildenberg@businessnc.com.