North East Mall

North East Mall is a large enclosed shopping center in Hurst, Texas, positioned at the intersection of Airport Freeway, formed by State Highway 121 and State Highway 183, and Interstate 820. The property serves communities in the eastern and central parts of the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area and is operated and owned by Simon Property Group. It is commonly described as a super-regional mall and is among the largest enclosed retail destinations in Tarrant County. The property traces its commercial origins to Leonard’s, a Fort Worth department-store chain that opened its third location at the site on July 10, 1970. An enclosed mall was added around the department store and officially opened on March 25, 1971, with approximately 80 inline stores. Early tenants included Stripling’s and JCPenney, while later additions such as Sears and Montgomery Ward expanded the center’s department-store presence. By the late 1970s, the mall had grown to roughly 750,000 leasable square feet. A food court was introduced during a 1990 expansion, replacing the former Service Merchandise space. The most significant transformation occurred during the late 1990s and early 2000s. A renovation and expansion costing approximately $200 million was completed in October 1999, adding The Shops at North East Mall power center, parking infrastructure, and a new south wing. The south wing was anchored by a three-level Dillard’s store. Additional parking garages were developed through the broader remodeling program. Saks Fifth Avenue opened at the mall on September 16, 2000, occupying a large space and becoming the retailer’s first and only location in Tarrant County at the time. Following a formal rededication in September 2001, the complex reportedly contained about 1.749 million leasable square feet and 168 stores and services. The tenant mix subsequently evolved as department stores and specialty retailers changed their national strategies. Saks Fifth Avenue closed its location in 2006, and the space was later converted for Dick’s Sporting Goods, which opened there in 2007. The adjacent Shops at North East Mall power-center component was spun off by Simon Property Group to Washington Prime Group in 2014, while Simon retained ownership of the enclosed mall. Road construction on State Highway 183 affected access and customer traffic during the early 2010s, according to local reporting. The mall continued to experiment with retail formats. In 2019, its JCPenney location was converted into a Penney’s test store, combining conventional department-store merchandise with a salon, barbershop, coffee lounge, spa services, workshops, and classes. The concept opened on November 1, 2019. Sears later announced that its North East Mall store would close in October 2019, leaving another major anchor vacancy in the property’s long-term portfolio. Simon temporarily closed its malls, including North East Mall, on March 18, 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nordstrom, which had also closed during the pandemic, announced in May 2020 that it would not reopen its North East Mall store. The former Nordstrom premises were subsequently used by Quicklotz, which opened on the first floor in July 2021 and used the second floor as a fulfillment facility for its online auction business, UbidUwin. Quicklotz closed the location in November 2024. A 2024 renovation refreshed the property with new paint and lighting, removed the center-court canopy, and refurbished the center-court fountain. In November 2024, Primark announced plans for a North East Mall store in the former Quicklotz space. The store was reported as opening on April 30, 2026. The mall’s current reported tenant profile includes Macy’s, Dillard’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Primark, the Penney’s test format, and an 18-screen Cinemark theater, alongside numerous specialty retailers, restaurants, and services. The property is approximately 1.5 million square feet and has about 135 stores, although published tota…

North East Mall developed from a Leonard’s department store opened in Hurst on July 10, 1970. The Fort Worth-based retailer’s third location became the initial anchor for an enclosed shopping center that opened on March 25, 1971. The original mall contained about 80 inline stores, including Stripling’s and JCPenney. The center’s early retail identity was based on department stores and everyday shopping for residents of the growing eastern Dallas–Fort Worth suburbs. The mall expanded substantially in the late 1970s. Sears and Montgomery Ward opened in August 1978, accompanied by additional store space and the United Artists Cinema 6. These additions strengthened the property’s role as a regional destination rather than a neighborhood center. By that period, the mall had approximately 750,000 leasable square feet. A 1990 project added a food court in space formerly occupied by Service Merchandise, reflecting the increasing importance of dining and longer customer visits in enclosed malls. A major redevelopment phase began in the late 1990s. Completed in October 1999, the approximately $200 million renovation and expansion added The Shops at North East Mall power center, a new south wing, additional parking structures, and a large Dillard’s anchor. The surrounding parking program ultimately included four garages developed through the 1998–2001 remodeling period. Saks Fifth Avenue opened on September 16, 2000, in a roughly 100,000-square-foot space. The property was formally rededicated on September 15, 2001, after reaching approximately 1.749 million leasable square feet and 168 stores and services. At that point, North East Mall was described as one of the largest enclosed malls in the Dallas–Fort Worth area and Texas. During the following decade, the mall’s tenant mix changed in response to shifting department-store strategies and new retail formats. Saks Fifth Avenue announced its closure in 2006, and Dick’s Sporting Goods subsequently opened in the former Saks premises in November 2007. BJ’s Brewhouse opened outside the mall in 2009. Highway construction along State Highway 183 was reported to have reduced traffic and sales during the early 2010s, highlighting the importance of road access to a suburban regional mall. In May 2014, Simon Property Group spun off 98 smaller properties into Washington Prime Group. The transaction included The Shops at North East Mall power center, while Simon continued to own and operate the enclosed North East Mall. The mall later experienced further anchor turnover. Sears announced in August 2019 that its store would close in October. In the same year, JCPenney used its North East Mall location for a new Penney’s test format. The redesigned store opened on November 1, 2019, and combined traditional merchandise with salon and barber services, a spa, a coffee lounge, workshops, and classes. Simon temporarily closed North East Mall on March 18, 2020, as part of its COVID-19 pandemic response. Nordstrom, whose store had also closed, announced on May 7, 2020, that it would not reopen the location. The former Nordstrom space was later reoccupied by Quicklotz. The liquidation retailer opened on July 31, 2021, using the first floor for its store and the second floor for fulfillment activities associated with its online auction subsidiary, UbidUwin. Quicklotz closed the mall location in November 2024 and moved to The Vista in nearby Lewisville. The property underwent another physical refresh in 2024, including new paint and lighting, removal of the center-court canopy, and restoration of the center-court fountain. In November of that year, Irish fast-fashion retailer Primark announced a store for the former Quicklotz premises. The store was reported as opening on April 30, 2026. Current descriptions identify North East Mall as approximately 1.5 million square feet with about 135 stores. Its major reported anchors and attractions include Macy’s, Dillard’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Primark, the Penney’s test store, and an 18-screen Cinemark theater. Store counts and floor-area figures have changed over time as expansions, reconfigurations, vacancies, and tenant replacements occurred.

• 2026

  Primark store reported open

  [1]North East Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Primark was reported as opening in the former Quicklotz space on April 30.

• 2024

  Renovation refresh completed

  [1]North East Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The property received new paint and lighting, center-court changes, and fountain refurbishment.

• 2021

  Quicklotz opens

  [1]North East Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Quicklotz occupied the former Nordstrom premises with a liquidation store and fulfillment operations.

• 2020

  Pandemic closure and Nordstrom departure

  [1]North East Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall temporarily closed in March during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Nordstrom later confirmed that its store would not reopen.

• 2019

  Penney’s test store opens

  [1]North East Mallen.wikipedia.org

  JCPenney converted its location into a Penney’s concept with expanded services and community programming.

• 2014

  Power-center component spun off

  [1]North East Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Shops at North East Mall was included in Simon Property Group’s transfer of smaller properties to Washington Prime Group.

• 2007

  Dick’s Sporting Goods replaces Saks

  [1]North East Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Dick’s Sporting Goods opened in the former Saks Fifth Avenue space.

• 2001

  Formal rededication

  [1]North East Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The renovated center was formally rededicated on September 15 with approximately 1.749 million leasable square feet and 168 stores and services.

• 2000

  Saks Fifth Avenue opens

  [1]North East Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Saks Fifth Avenue opened on September 16 in a large anchor space.

• 1999

  Major expansion and renovation completed

  [1]North East Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A large redevelopment added The Shops at North East Mall, new parking infrastructure, and the south wing anchored by Dillard’s.

• 1990

  Food court added

  [1]North East Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A food court was created in the former Service Merchandise location.

• 1978

  Sears and Montgomery Ward are added

  [1]North East Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The mall expanded with two major department stores, additional retail space, and a six-screen United Artists cinema.

• 1971

  Enclosed mall opens

  [1]North East Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The first enclosed portion of the shopping center opened on March 25 with approximately 80 inline stores.

• 1970

  Leonard’s department store opens

  [1]North East Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The third Leonard’s department store opened at the future mall site in Hurst on July 10.

A large, mainstream-to-upscale regional shopping and entertainment destination serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area, with department stores, specialty retailers, restaurants, services, and cinema entertainment.

• Retail anchors

  Department stores

  North East Mall’s department-store offering includes Macy’s, Dillard’s, and the Penney’s test-format store. These anchors provide apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty products, home goods, and related services. Their presence gives the mall a broad, conventional regional-shopping foundation, while the Penney’s concept adds salon, barber, spa, coffee, workshop, and class components.

• Sporting goods · 2007

  Dick’s Sporting Goods

  Dick’s Sporting Goods occupies the former Saks Fifth Avenue anchor space and offers sporting equipment, athletic apparel, footwear, fitness products, and outdoor merchandise. Its large-format presence adds a durable-use and recreational-shopping component to the mall’s otherwise fashion- and department-store-oriented tenant mix.

• Fast fashion · 2026

  Primark

  Primark is the mall’s reported fast-fashion anchor addition. Its assortment is centered on value-oriented clothing, accessories, beauty products, and household merchandise. The store was announced for the former Quicklotz premises and reported as opening on April 30, 2026.

• Entertainment

  Cinemark theater

  An 18-screen Cinemark theater provides movie exhibition and entertainment within the mall complex. The cinema extends the center’s role beyond shopping and supports evening, weekend, and family-oriented visits.

• Power-center retail · 1999

  The Shops at North East Mall

  The Shops at North East Mall is the adjacent power-center component developed during the late-1990s expansion. It contains large-format retail and service uses distinct from the enclosed mall. Simon Property Group transferred this component to Washington Prime Group in 2014 while retaining the enclosed mall itself.

• 2024

  Property renovation refreshStrategy

  Background

  The mall pursued a physical refresh amid continuing changes in its anchor and specialty-retail mix.

  Action taken

  Work included new paint and lighting, removal of the center-court canopy, and refurbishment of the center-court fountain.

  Aftermath

  The improvements modernized common areas and preceded the announced arrival of Primark in the former Quicklotz space.

  Source

• 2024

  Primark leasing decisionProduct launch

  Background

  Quicklotz closed its mall location in November 2024, creating an opportunity to replace the liquidation retailer with a major international fast-fashion tenant.

  Action taken

  Primark announced plans to open a store in the former Quicklotz space.

  Aftermath

  The store was reported as opening on April 30, 2026, adding a value-oriented fashion anchor to the property.

  Source

• 2020

  Temporary pandemic closureOther

  Background

  Simon Property Group responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by temporarily closing its shopping centers.

  Action taken

  North East Mall closed on March 18, 2020, along with Simon’s other malls.

  Aftermath

  Nordstrom subsequently decided not to reopen its location, and the former anchor space was later occupied by Quicklotz.

  Source

• 2019

  Penney’s test-format conversionProduct launch

  Background

  JCPenney used the North East Mall location to test a broader department-store format at a time when traditional department stores were seeking new service and experiential concepts.

  Action taken

  The store was redesigned as Penney’s with a salon, barbershop, coffee lounge, spa, workshops, and classes in addition to conventional merchandise.

  Aftermath

  The concept officially opened on November 1, 2019 and became one of the mall’s distinctive retail formats.

  Source

• 2014

  Spin-off of adjacent power centerM&A

  Background

  Simon Property Group reorganized a portfolio of smaller properties through the creation of Washington Prime Group.

  Action taken

  The Shops at North East Mall power-center component was transferred to Washington Prime Group, while Simon retained the enclosed mall.

  Aftermath

  The mall and its adjacent power-center component became associated with different ownership structures.

  Source

• 1999

  Major redevelopment and expansionStrategy

  Background

  North East Mall was repositioned as a larger regional destination through a major renovation, a new south wing, parking structures, and an adjacent power center.

  Action taken

  The redevelopment added The Shops at North East Mall, a three-level Dillard’s anchor, approximately 28 new store spaces, and substantial parking capacity.

  Aftermath

  After its 2001 rededication, the property had approximately 1.749 million leasable square feet and 168 stores and services.

  Reported redevelopment cost. $200 million (1999 expansion)

  Source

1. 1North East Mallen.wikipedia.org
2. 2North East Mall official websitesimon.com