Houston’s Northwest Mall Will Close All of its Interior Stores

The 800,000 square foot Northwest Mall was built in 1968, and in 2014, it was announced that the 50 acres of land surrounding it was going up for sale. Now, ABC 13 reports that all but five of the stores will close by March 31st.

Those who have recently visited the mall know that it’s been struggling and many of the stores have already shut down. One of the mall’s most popular stores, JC Penney, had already closed, and on Tuesday, smaller stores followed suit offering huge discounts. As the Houston Chronicle describes it, this mall was once “the place to go,” but now, “cavernous spaces line its mostly empty corridors.”

The anchor stores or organizations that have their own entrances will stay open, though no one knows for how long. The Houston Chronicle lists them as the “College of Healthcare Professions, Thompson Antique Center, Palais Royal, Post Oak Club and Chapa.”

Part of the reason the Northwest Mall is failing is due to the rise in popularity of online shopping. People aren’t frequenting malls quite as much as they once did. The mall could become home to the rail station that will connect Dallas and Houston.