Shopping malls across America have been left in a state that not even Paul Blart could save, and Fort Worth is no exception.
Known as “dead malls,” these abandoned, dilapidated, or mostly vacant shopping centers have become a subject of fascination — especially thanks to the online popularity of liminal space aesthetics.
Let’s go to the mall
Ridgmar Mall was once in its heydey.
Though it’s still catering to shoppers today, Fort Worthians may remember when the ~1.3 million-sqft mall was home to over 120 retailers + a movie theater that opened in the 2000s — a far cry from what it looks like today. The mall was also a destination for community events.
Back to the future
Now, most of the mall’s remaining ~30 tenants are located on the bottom floor of the two-story building. However JCPenney, which opened at Ridgmar Mall in 1976 as one of the mall’s anchor tenants, is still rocking two levels of shopping.
Earlier plans to redevelop the mall into a mixed-use space seem to have disappeared, but in 2021, the mall’s former H&M site was turned into a COVID-19 vaccine administration center.
In 2023, the White House also released a guidebook on commercial-to-residential conversions. And in cities like San Diego, former shopping centers are being converted into mixed-use developments, with plans including a 40-story residential building where Macy’s once sat. Who knows what the future holds?
Last year, the aquarium and marine-themed amusement SeaQuest closed its doors after seven years.
Though Ridgmar faces a “retail conundrum,” Fort Worth still has several other thriving shopping centers or districts where you can make like NSYNC and buy, buy, buy:
- Hulen Mall | The decline of malls hasn’t hit the southwest shopping center yet. It’s still going strong with over 125 retail and restaurant tenants.
- The Shops at Clearfork | Fort Worth’s premiere destination for luxury goods boasts Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Burberry, and more.
- University Park Village | The outdoor shopping center is a great place for clothes + home goods with stores like Madewell and Anthropologie, Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma.
Do you have memories of a local mall from back in the day? Share them with us and we may feature your story in a future newsletter: First date at the food court, trying on prom dresses at the department store, hitting up Orange Julius before picking up the perfect graphic tee at Hot Topic — we wanna hear it all.
