Columbus Place

Columbus Place is a shopping mall in Columbus, Mississippi, formerly known as Leigh Mall. The property opened in 1973 after being developed by Jim Wilson & Associates, with JCPenney and Sears serving as its original anchor stores. Its retail role has changed over time as traditional department-store tenants closed and the property shifted toward a more varied mix of value retail, specialty retail, fitness, and service-oriented tenants. The mall was sold to Equitable Real Estate in 1987. Sears departed in 2012, and the former Sears space was subsequently converted for Hobby Lobby, which opened in the location in 2013. JCPenney, one of the original anchors, closed in 2017. By the time the property was sold at auction in 2019, occupancy had fallen to approximately 57 percent, reflecting the broader pressure on conventional shopping malls from department-store closures, changing consumer habits, and competition from other retail formats. Hull Property Group acquired the mall at the 2019 auction for $3.5 million. The company undertook a substantial redevelopment involving demolition and rebuilding rather than simply preserving the existing mall configuration. The property was marketed under the new name Columbus Place in 2023. The redeveloped center included Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby, Planet Fitness, and Burke's Outlet as anchor or major tenants, while the former JCPenney space remained vacant according to the cited reference material. Columbus Place is therefore best understood as a local physical-retail property rather than a conventional consumer brand with independently manufactured products. Its identity is tied to its location, tenant mix, accessibility, and redevelopment strategy. The transition from Leigh Mall to Columbus Place illustrates the repositioning of an aging regional shopping center into a more flexible retail and services destination. Publicly available reference material identifies the property’s principal ownership and historical changes but does not provide a complete current tenant directory, detailed operating metrics, or a standalone corporate website.

Leigh Mall opened in Columbus, Mississippi, in 1973. It was developed by Jim Wilson & Associates as a conventional shopping mall serving the local market, with JCPenney and Sears as its original anchor stores. The development formed part of the traditional department-store-led retail model in which large anchors generated customer traffic for smaller shops and services located throughout the center. Ownership changed in 1987 when the mall was sold to Equitable Real Estate. Over the following decades, the property experienced the same structural changes affecting many American shopping centers: department-store contraction, tenant turnover, and increasing competition from discount retailers, standalone big-box stores, and online commerce. Sears closed in 2012. Its former space was converted into a Hobby Lobby store the following year, preserving a major retail presence while changing the character of the anchor tenancy from a department store to a specialty retailer. JCPenney closed in 2017, leaving the property without one of its original anchors. The mall was sold at auction in 2019 to Hull Property Group for $3.5 million. At the time of the sale, the property was reported to be approximately 57 percent occupied. The acquisition gave Hull Property Group control of a distressed but established retail site with redevelopment potential. Hull Property Group pursued a major physical repositioning rather than relying solely on incremental leasing. The redevelopment involved demolition and rebuilding, and the property was subsequently presented under the Columbus Place name in 2023. The new tenant mix identified in the reference material included Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby, Planet Fitness, and Burke's Outlet. A former JCPenney anchor space was still vacant in the cited description. The change from Leigh Mall to Columbus Place represents a shift in the property's commercial format and identity. Rather than depending primarily on traditional department-store anchors, the redeveloped center combines value retail, specialty retail, apparel, fitness, and service uses. Its primary market remains Columbus and the surrounding area of Mississippi. Available reference material does not establish a separate corporate brand structure, a public-company listing, a comprehensive current tenant roster, or detailed financial performance beyond the reported 2019 auction price.

• 2023

  Redeveloped property launches as Columbus Place

  [1]Columbus Placeen.wikipedia.org

  After extensive demolition and rebuilding, the former Leigh Mall is renamed and marketed as Columbus Place.

• 2019

  Hull Property Group purchases the mall

  [1]Columbus Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Hull Property Group acquires the property at auction as occupancy stands at approximately 57 percent.

• 2017

  JCPenney closes

  [1]Columbus Placeen.wikipedia.org

  JCPenney leaves the property, removing the second original anchor identified in the mall's history.

• 2013

  Hobby Lobby takes former Sears space

  [1]Columbus Placeen.wikipedia.org

  The former Sears anchor is converted for Hobby Lobby.

• 2012

  Sears departs

  [1]Columbus Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Sears closes its store, ending the operation of one of Leigh Mall's original anchor tenants.

• 1987

  Sale to Equitable Real Estate

  [1]Columbus Placeen.wikipedia.org

  The mall changes ownership when it is sold to Equitable Real Estate.

• 1973

  Leigh Mall opens

  [1]Columbus Placeen.wikipedia.org

  Jim Wilson & Associates develops and opens the shopping mall in Columbus, Mississippi, with JCPenney and Sears as original anchors.

A locally oriented shopping and services center repositioned from a traditional enclosed mall into a more flexible, value-focused retail property.

• Specialty retail anchor · 2013

  Hobby Lobby

  Hobby Lobby occupies the former Sears anchor space and provides arts, crafts, home décor, seasonal merchandise, and related specialty goods. Its presence helped replace a traditional department-store anchor after Sears closed.

• Discount retail

  Dollar Tree

  Dollar Tree is identified as one of the major tenants at the redeveloped Columbus Place. It contributes a value-oriented general-merchandise offering covering household goods, party supplies, consumables, and seasonal products.

• Fitness services

  Planet Fitness

  Planet Fitness provides a gym and fitness-service use within the redeveloped center. Its inclusion broadens the property beyond traditional retail by creating a recurring service destination.

• Outlet apparel retail

  Burke's Outlet

  Burke's Outlet is identified as a major tenant at Columbus Place, adding apparel and value-oriented outlet merchandise to the center's post-redevelopment tenant mix.

• 2023

  Redevelopment and renaming as Columbus PlaceStrategy

  Background

  The former Leigh Mall had experienced anchor departures and reduced occupancy, creating a need to adapt the property to a changed retail environment.

  Action taken

  Hull Property Group demolished and rebuilt portions of the center and relaunched it under the Columbus Place name.

  Aftermath

  The redeveloped property presented a tenant mix including Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby, Planet Fitness, and Burke's Outlet, while the former JCPenney space was reported as vacant.

  Source

• 2019

  Acquisition at auctionM&A

  Background

  Leigh Mall was offered at auction after losing major department-store tenants and operating at approximately 57 percent occupancy.

  Action taken

  Hull Property Group acquired the property for $3.5 million.

  Aftermath

  The purchase positioned Hull Property Group to undertake a major redevelopment and reposition the center under a new identity.

  Auction purchase price. $3.5 million (2019)

  Source

1. 1Columbus Placeen.wikipedia.org