FOREST ACRES, S.C. — Tuesday night, council members in Forest Acres said things are ahead of schedule in the development project that will replace the Richland Mall.
News19 told and showed you preliminary drawings back in August of how local leaders said the former Richland Mall, at the intersection of Forest Drive and Beltline Boulevard, will be transformed.
The new space will feature an outdoor park, apartments, businesses, a grocery store and brewery.
Council members shared that demolition is set to wrap up towards the end of this year, with site remediation beginning in the spring.
"When they submit the plan development district to us, we'll kind of get into more finite details of what's going on over there. And then, obviously, we'll get some thought from us as council members, but we'll also give a lot of thought from the public as well to developers," Forest Acres councilman David Black said.
Things are pressing forward with Tuesday night's approval of a $2.5 million grant agreement with South Carolina Parks Recreation and Tourism (SCPRT) for the redevelopment.
"We've already moved ahead with the contract for them to start working on the permitting and the other aspects that'll be involving the creek restoration and stabilization of Penn Branch," Shaun Greenwood, Forest Acres city administrator said.
Forest Acres leaders said the creek, right next to the mall property, will now be highlighted.
"The park project has a creek restoration component to it," said Lynnsey Baker, Forest Acres public information officer. "Penn Branch Creek, a lot of people don't even realize was there behind the mall. It was actually covered up in a parking area of the mall and our hope is to help to bring that creek out into the public, make it an amenity of this park and make it a waterway that everyone can really enjoy."
Local businessmen like barber John Buckner are excited for the change.
"I think the actual open air and the brewery and having the up-to-date stuff will do better," Buckner said.
Greenwood said they're still in the hard design phase of the park, and a consultant will come next month to give a final draft of the master plan for approval.
Council said their goal is for contractors to begin building the park the same time they build the retail space. That process starting hopefully next year.