What does the new manager have planned for Montgomery’s Eastdale Mall?
Eastdale Mall has been a Montgomery staple for 47 years, so what does its new manager have planned?
Brian Smith is taking over for longtime manager Richard Holman, who moved to manage The Shoppes at EastChase recently.
Smith has spent his entire life in Montgomery, graduating from Carver High School and Alabama State University.
“I grew up coming to this exact mall like many, many moons ago,” He told Action 8 News. From the ice skating rink to the teen team board, he remembers it being a fun place to be, which is what he wants to bring back.
Smith came up with the slogan “Mega,” which he says stands for “make Eastdale great again,” as part of his efforts to get the public involved with the mall’s changes.
“Any time I do a hashtag or post a picture, you are going to see that, and we are aware of what’s going on. Changes are good. Some people think if you change something, it’s for the worse. But it’s not.”
“I have like 70 people I am responsible for. I have to make sure no crime is here. I have to make sure you know, no shootings are in the mall. I have to make sure everybody is safe.”
Eastdale Mall is no exception to crime. Smith says they’re working on adding handheld metal detectors and more to tackle the issue.
“I hired more security. I have MPD on payroll. I have the sheriff’s department on payroll — undercovers, I brought that back from way back in the day. Undercovers are pretty much the heart and soul of security. ”
Smith says new restaurants and stores will be moving in once the crime has settled down. Smith says his main goal is to restore Eastdale Mall to what it was like when he was growing up.
