Jul. 9—The effort to redevelop the Aiken Mall site is "moving ahead," said Jason Long, a senior vice president with Southeastern, an Augusta-based company that purchased the property six years ago, during a July 7 interview with the Aiken Standard.
Most of the shopping center on Whiskey Road has been torn down. Still standing is the section where Belk is located and is still open.
Also remaining is the part of the structure that was the former location of Dillard's.
"The physical demolition is done," Long said. "We're just finishing up removing the concrete slab of the mall. We're pulling that up. Once that's complete it kind of makes way for site work once our plans are finalized and approved."
Gillam & Associates of Aiken is overseeing the demolition and slab removal process, and Thompson Building Wrecking Company of Augusta is providing the labor.
As for the approval of plans, that is happening at the "staff level" with the City of Aiken Planning Department, Long said.
"We have comments that have come back from the city, and our civil engineer is addressing those right now," he continued. "It's a back and forth situation. Once we get the site plans approved, we'll be ready to go."
The selection of a site contractor will follow, and Long said that there was "more than one" under consideration.
A site work contractor is in charge of "the horizontal work — the grading and the utility work and things like that," Long explained.
Compared to a concept plan that Long talked about during the Aiken Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Means Business breakfast in March, there are no significant changes in the proposals for new structures and amenities being considered by the Planning Department, Long said.
Included in that First Friday overview were the locations of restaurant/retail buildings, apartments, a hotel with approximately 100 rooms and a park with an amphitheater.
In addition, Long reported then that Belk's façade would be updated and that there was a long-term agreement to keep the store at the Aiken Mall site.
During his July 7 interview with the Aiken Standard, Long said Southeastern wasn't ready to make "any announcements yet" about any businesses that might or would join Belk as tenants.
There has been speculation locally that Books-A-Million would return.
The Books-A-Million store at the Aiken Mall closed in July 2021, and another Books-A-Million store opened in Aiken last month in Kalmia Plaza.