The demolition of the former Parkwood/Wilson Mall began on February 18 and is now complete. 

The background information will remain on this page to preserve the history of the project.

The mall opened in 1964 as the open-air Parkwood Shopping Center and enclosed as Parkwood Mall in 1979. The mall was essentially closed in 2013, although the last tenants remained longer -- K&W closing in 2020 and Roses leaving in early 2025.

What did the city pay for the mall and demolition?

The Wilson City Council agreed in October 2022 to purchase the mall from Hull Property Group for $3 million. This included the building and 45 acres; Hull retained outparcels including the theater. The deal was finalized in summer 2023.

This January Council approved a $456,331.28 contract with D.H. Griffin Wrecking Company to demolish the mall. D.H. Griffin's bid was the lowest among 13 companies seeking the job. the job is scheduled to take 90 days.

What will happen to the site? 

The demolition will take the property down to its slab with work completed by this summer. Following that, the city plans to market most of the property for private development. We are working with a -- consultant to determine the most likely projects for the site. Preliminary work is underway now and opportunities for public input will be included.  The northern portion (around the former Kroger building) will be used for a park including a stormwater feature to help lessen flooding risks in the area. We have lots of ideas for this to make it a useful and beautiful park - think more streams and waterfalls rather than retaining ponds - but it is still in planning phase. 

Why didn't the city try to save the mall and convert it to a new use?

Many people have suggested the city could have made the mall into a convention center, youth facility, affordable housing or other ideas.

But the building was too far gone. It had been neglected for a decade before it was in city ownership and roof leaks had allowed plant growth and mold in the structure, vandals had done extensive damage, plus there were asbestos materials. It would not have been safe to save.

Will there be a new mall?

There were more than 2,500 malls across the U.S. in the 1980s, but people began to prefer big-box retailers like Wal-Mart, Target and Sam's Club; shopping centers like Heritage Crossing where people might park closer to their destination; and online shopping. Only 700 malls are still open nationwide, and only two new malls have opened since 2015. So while the possibility exists if a developer purchases the property, it seems unlikely. 

Why didn't Wilson use the mall location for the Wilson Warbirds' new ballfield?

At the time the Milwaukee Brewers announced the move of their Single A ballclub to Wilson in March 2023, the city did not own the mall property. But the Brewers looked at several sites and always preferred a downtown location. It's a good thing because that mall is still there and the Warbirds start play in April.

Can I have a brick? 

D.H. Griffin's contract calls for them to salvage and sell the debris. They did a similar process for the BB&T towers. So we don't have bricks to give away. 

What will happen to the cemetery/AMC theater/other outparcels?

The cemetery will remain as it is now. The theater and outparcels should be unaffected. They are still owned by Hull Property Group. Please go to the movies and the restaurants, we want them to be continue to be a part of our community. 

The photo below shows the many parcels included in the mall property with ownership noted. 

Timeline of the Mall

1964: Parkwood Shopping Center opens as a traditional strip shopping center/open air plaza, including 19 tenants and anchored by JCPenney, Winn-Dixie and Roses. Other tenants included Flowers Shoes, Singer, Barshay's, Kerr Drugs, Burton's, The Color Center, Mitchell Hairdressers, and Lynn's Hallmark. 

1979: The center is enclosed and expanded into Parkwood Mall, adding major tenant Belk Tyler’s Department Store relocating from Nash Street. The mall includes 65 stores.

1990s-Early 2000s: The mall falters as vacancies soar. Nationally, the “big box” retailers (Walmart, Target, Sams Club) seek to open in free standing buildings, rather than malls.

2005: Hull Storey Properties buys Parkwood Mall, promising to upgrade and improve it. The company adds new signage, renaming it Wilson Mall. Carmike agrees to build a 10-screen theater to replace Parkwood Mall Triple. The Carmike was the first theater in North Carolina to have exclusively digital projectors. It was taken over by AMC in 2017.

2006: Belk announces it’s departing for the new Heritage Crossing shopping center, which was and is anchored by Target. Hull Storey tries to develop new anchors like Steve & Barry’s University Sportswear (2006-08) and then Rose’s.

2007: For the first time in 50 years, no new malls are opened in the U.S. This prompts Newsweek to declare malls obsolete.

Jan. 13, 2013 – Hull Storey closes Wilson Mall. The company announced plans to demolish the structure, only leaving JCPenney, the theater, Dollar Tree and Rose’s (the only remaining tenants) as the anchors of a new strip mall.

2016 – Hull Property Group proposes redevelopment of the mall as medical offices and apartments. The proposal doesn’t move forward.

October 2022 – The Wilson City Council announces plans to buy the Wilson Mall property for $3 million. Funding was made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act, passed by Congress as a way to re-energize the economy coming out of the COVID era.

June 2023 – The City of Wilson completes its purchase of the mall property, around 45 acres excluding some outparcels including the movie theater.

Summer 2024 – The City secures a Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant to pay for the mall’s demolition and construction of the stormwater facility. City staff begin the environmental assessment phase of the grant.

March 2025 – One of the mall’s first tenants, Rose’s is the last to close. Rose’s announces plan to move to Fikewood Shopping Center on U.S. 301 sometime this year.

April 2025 – FEMA cancels the BRIC Grant. The City had received only $100,000 of the funding for planning purposes.

UPDATE: September 2025

Wilson City Council has recommitted to the demolition of the defunct Wilson Mall property, despite the loss of a $9 million grant to pay for the job. In September 2025, Council Members discussed the status of the project and confirmed their desire to get rid of the eyesore property as soon as they can.

The mall property has been falling apart for more than 12 years since former owner Hull Property Group mostly shut down the mall in January 2013. The interior has been vandalized and roof leaks have caused issues with water damage, mold and plant growth.

City Council agreed to buy the mall in late 2002 and finalized the sale in summer 2023. The city secured a $9 million Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant in 2024 that would have covered the demolition and construction of a stormwater park on the northern end of the property.

The city had been pursuing environmental permits for the demolition, which was expected to begin after the mall’s last tenant, Rose’s, left in March 2025.

But in April 2025 the federal government cancelled the grant, part of $882 million in cancelled funding to help local governments with disaster recovery and hazard mitigation.

The city will continue to pursue federal and state grants for the project. An application is currently pending with the N.C. Department of Insurance, Public Safety, but it could well be 2026 or even early 2027 before grants are awarded through the competitive process.

Asbestos removal is now underway, bids for demolition have been gathered, and a bid award will happen in early 2026. The city has nearly $800,000 in funding that was held for the BRIC grant matching component and can now be used for the project.

The city’s goal has been to redevelop the property, part of which would be a stormwater pond near the site of the former Kroger store. The mall property is seen as having contributed to flooding in the Hominy Swamp Creek watershed during past severe weather, including Hurricane Matthew in 2017.

Other parts of the 45-acre property would be redeveloped, possibly with a mix of residential and commercial development. The AMC Theater is expected to remain as well as other outparcels along Tarboro Street. The theater and outparcels continue to be owned by Hull Story and other private companies.