Possible Uses for Shreveport’s South Park Mall if Church Moves

We might see a “for sale” sign on the South Park Mall in Shreveport. Summer Grove Baptist Church has been operating at the mall for more than 20 years, but the clock is ticking. The congregation is supporting a plan to find a new location for the church.
This means the old mall will likely be put up for sale as the church begins the process of relocating. But this will take some time. The church will have to find a site and begin the process of building a new worship center and full campus.

What Will Happen with the Mall Property

Summer Grove Baptist Church is one of the largest church campuses in the region. The old mall is a massive property and many are wondering what will happen with that property once the church moves out.

READ MORE: Shreveport Firefighters Respond to Summer Grove Baptist Church

Vacant Malls Happening All Over the Country

Shreveport is not the only community with this problem. Across the country, aging malls are being repurposed for other uses. The days of indoor malls has been fading for years. But many cities have been quite creative in finding ways to give these massive buildings new life.

Possible Uses for Old Malls

Summer Grove isn’t the only church to call a mall home. In Houston, a former JCPenney was converted into a worship center. A similar arrangement happened in Austin. But other cities have converted malls into health care complexes along with office space.

The One Hundred Oaks Mall in Nashville was converted into a sprawling medical campus for Vanderbilt Medical Center. Having the mall as the hub offered plenty of parking and easy access to highways in the region. Here in Shreveport, Ochsner is taking over a large part of Mall St. Vincent.

Another interesting use of malls is converting the properties into residential or mixed-use communities.

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What Could Work in Shreveport?

Locally, we could find some very creative ways to bring that property back to life. I don’t think it will ever be a viable option for retail, but leaders might want to think about partnerships that could spur economic growth in that part of town. The new buyer will have to spend a pile of money on upgrades and renovations. Some of the ideas that I have heard include a vocational or trade school campus, a sports and recreation complex, or a possible complex for seniors which could include living space and event centers.

Price History of South Park Mall

Summer Grove bought the property in 2005 for about $3 million dollars. The church also took on loans to do the renovations and convert the 900,000 square foot property for the church campus. The church made the final payment on November 2023 retiring the $12 million dollar debt.