A proposal was presented this week to finally restore the Columbia Mall.

Columbia's Industrial Development Board received a proposal on Tuesday from Hull Property Group for redevelopment of the mall which will be a full scale renovation job from the ground up that will consist of phases.

The first phase will consist of demolishing approximately 112,000 square feet of the existing structure along with modifying around 90,000 square feet as upscale, outward facing retail spaces.

Then phase two will include redeveloping the former JC Penney space into a future grocery store site where the building is being turned inside out as well as the parking lot is expected to receive several improvements.

The redevelopment of the Columbia Mall is projected to generate approximately $49.5 million in new sales annually once the project is completed, and the restoration is also expected to move along fairly quickly.