Malls · Texas
Northwest Mall
Opened 1968. Closed 2017. Redeveloped.
Status nowDemolishedextracted, unreviewed
documented
The mall is now fully vacant, and demolition has begun as of April 9, 2026 and has been demolished as of May 11, 2026.
What it becameotherextracted, unreviewed reported
Site size794,144 sq ft GLAEsri 2014 layer reported
Retrofit yearNot yet retrofittedstatus reported
Rail within 800 mNoOpenStreetMap, HUD
Ask who owns this Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this recordhttps://retrofitatlas.org/malls/tx/houston-northwest-mall/
Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.
Site profile19 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence
Former anchors
Foley's
This site: Foley's wikipedia · all sites with thisJCPenney
This site: JCPenney wikipedia · all sites with thisMacy's
This site: Macy's wikipedia · all sites with thisWoolworth's
This site: Woolworth's wikipedia · all sites with thisPlace
15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)
This site: 5/6 openstreetmap · all sites with this3+ other atlas sites within 10 km
This site: 8 within 10 km computed · all sites with this30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent road
This site: 304,321 on 610 fhwa-hpms · all sites with thisBike network nearby
This site: 26 ways openstreetmap · all sites with thisCounty permitting 2,000+ apartment units a year
This site: 8,623 units, Harris County census-bps · all sites with thisGrocery within 800 m
This site: 2 stores openstreetmap · all sites with thisHigh hurricane risk
This site: Relatively High fema-nri · all sites with thisHigh inland flooding risk
This site: Very High fema-nri · all sites with thisHigh natural hazard risk (FEMA NRI)
This site: Relatively High; hurricane, tornado, inland flooding fema-nri · all sites with thisHigh social vulnerability tract (SVI ≥ 0.75)
This site: 0.86 cdc-svi · all sites with thisHigh tornado risk
This site: Very High fema-nri · all sites with thisInterstate or freeway within 600 m
This site: 610 fhwa-hpms · all sites with thisLower-income tract (< $50k)
This site: $43,578 census-acs · all sites with thisScale
Building footprint 50,000+ m²
This site: 56,354 m² overture · all sites with thisStrategy
Redeveloped
This site: …demolished site extraction · all sites with thisNow
| Status | Demolishedextracted, unreviewed documentedThe mall is now fully vacant, and demolition has begun as of April 9, 2026 and has been demolished as of May 11, 2026. |
|---|---|
| Strategy | Redevelopedextracted, unreviewed documentedThe mall, owned by Houston-based Levcor, is in the early planning stages of a redevelopment; but due to the planned city redevelopment of nearby Hempstead Highway, the shopping center is waiting to see what land they could potentially lose to eminent domain before proceeding. |
| New uses | otherextracted, unreviewed reported |
| What is there now | demolished siteextracted, unreviewed documentedThe mall is now fully vacant, and demolition has begun as of April 9, 2026 and has been demolished as of May 11, 2026. |
| Redeveloper | Levcor Inc, Texas Central Railwayextracted, unreviewed reported |
Securitised debt and public filers
Filings (2001 to date) that name “Northwest Mall” and “Houston” (74 hits, first 74 sampled, 5 other filers such as tenants left out). Only weak matches to commercial-mortgage trusts: the mall may have backed a securitised loan, or may just be mentioned in the filing; several trusts usually means one loan split into pari-passu notes. Earliest trust filing in the sample 2018-02-27 (a sample date, not the issuance date); candidate loan vintage 2017 from the trust name (weak match). Whether the loan is still in the pool, in special servicing or repaid is in the trust's monthly distribution reports, which are not searchable here. Text matches, not a title search. Open the search · all trusts.
| Kind | Filer | Filings | Dates | Forms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMBS trust (weak) | UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 2018-C9 | 1 | 2018-03-29 to 2018-03-29 | 8-K 1 |
| CMBS trust (weak) | Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust 2018-C43 | 1 | 2018-03-27 to 2018-03-27 | 8-K 1 |
| CMBS trust (weak) | CITIGROUP COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE TRUST 2018-B2 | 1 | 2018-03-20 to 2018-03-20 | 8-K 1 |
| CMBS trust (weak) | UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 2017-C7 | 1 | 2018-02-28 to 2018-02-28 | 8-K 1 |
| CMBS trust (weak) | UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 2018-C8 | 1 | 2018-02-27 to 2018-02-27 | 8-K 1 |
| Public owner (strong) | GLIMCHER REALTY TRUST | 45 | 2001-03-16 to 2008-10-23 | 8-K 24, 10-Q 10, 10-K 7, 10-Q/A 3 |
| Public owner (weak) | ROUSE COMPANY | 2 | 2003-08-14 to 2005-03-31 | 10-K 1, 10-Q 1 |
| Public owner (weak) | GENERAL GROWTH PROPERTIES INC | 1 | 2005-03-22 to 2005-03-22 | 10-K 1 |
Site context
| FEMA flood zone | X · AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL |
|---|---|
| EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m | 8: ABLE COPIER SERVICE; BIG THREE INDUSTRIAL GAS, INC.; BILL WHITE BIT CO; EXXON RS 63250; FERMONE CHEMICAL INCEPA FRS |
| Census tract 48201520501 | 4,040 people, 2,264 per sq mi; median household income $43,578; median gross rent $1,600; 35% renters; 9.2% vacant units; 2.3% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year |
| Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m) | 5 of 6 daily needs: 2 grocers, 0 schools, 13 parks or playgrounds, 2 health, 1 civic, 10 food and drink; 26 cycleway segments, 28 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap |
| Opportunity Zone | noHUD |
| Housing permits, Harris County (TX), 2024 | 8,623 units in 5+ unit buildings, 1,226 in 2–4, 20,087 single-family; 2023: 13,263 in 5+Census BPS |
| Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract) | overall percentile 0.86; socioeconomic 0.87; housing and transport 0.85; 22% below 150% of poverty; 8% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR |
| Other atlas sites nearby | 8 within 10 km, 17 within 25 km: Saks Fifth Avenue Center of Fashion (5.8 km); River Oaks Shopping Center (6.7 km); Northline Mall (8.0 km); Greentown Labs Houston (9.4 km); Georgian apartments (9.4 km)computed |
| Overture Maps | no place match; building footprint 56,354 m², 16.7 mOverture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0) |
| Attention: Wikipedia page views | 80,547 since 2015; 10,564 in the last 12 months (+8% vs the prior 12); peak 2026-04 with 1,996Wikimedia |
| Tract change 2013–2023 | tract boundary changed between the 2010 and 2020 census; no 2013 comparisonCensus ACS |
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract) | relatively high overall (score 96.5); expected annual loss $3.4M; high: hurricane, tornado, inland flooding; community resilience very lowFEMA NRI |
| Tax-credit housing within 1 km | noneHUD LIHTC |
| Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW) | 210,476 jobs in 13,134 establishments; average annual pay $44,568; employment location quotient 0.87; employment -0.8% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private |
| Jobs located in the tract, 2022 | 8,778 jobs; 518 in retail trade, 452 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 48201520501)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022 |
| Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract) | children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 43th income percentile as adults; 2.9% incarcerated at the 2010 count (1,942 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights |
| Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract) | not a low-access tract at 1 mile; 0% of residents more than 1 mile from a supermarket; poverty rate 33.3%; median family income $41,716; 506 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS |
| Schools | Houston Independent School District (PK-12); 2 public schools within 1 mile: SOAR CTR; HOUSMAN ELNCES EDGE |
| Elevation | 71 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP |
| Storm events in the county, 2016-2025 | 489 county-logged events: 176 thunderstorm wind, 143 hail, 92 flash flood, 33 tornado; $10,324,991,000 property damage reported; 54 direct deaths; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events |
| Homes for sale in ZIP 77092, 2026-09 | median list price $325,725 (-3.0% on the year); 119 active listings; median 44 days on market; 23% with a price cutRealtor.com Research |
| Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 2023 | 13,613 establishments (+8%); 213,745 jobs (+11%)Census CBP |
| Housing market in the county | typical home value $276,524 (-2% 1 yr, +11% 5 yr); typical rent $1,583/mo (-0% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research |
| Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024) | 304,321 vehicles a day on 610 (Interstate, 15 lanes); 15,131 trucks; 35 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS |
Summary, model-written
Northwest Mall opened in October 1968 as a Rouse Co.-developed regional mall anchored by JCPenney and Foley's. Over time it lost key anchors (JCPenney in 2000, Macy's and Bath & Body Works after Hurricane Ike in 2008), occupancy fell, and the mall closed permanently in 2017. The site was demolished in 2026 after Levcor Inc acquired it in 2007 and cleared the structure.
Why. Anchor store closures, Hurricane Ike damage, and declining occupancy led to the mall's closure; these factors are visible in the record.
Where it stands. The demolished site is currently controlled by Levcor Inc, which owned the property from 2007 onward.
For a planner
- Twin mall Almeda Mall (also Rouse Co.) provides a redevelopment precedent for the area.
- No specific policy tools or incentives are mentioned in the record.
- Open questions include future zoning, land‑use entitlements, and community input for the cleared parcel.
For a developer
- Site size: 794,144 sq ft GLA (large, cleared parcel).
- Control: Single owner (Levcor Inc) with no listed co‑owners or joint ventures.
- Entitlement stage: Demolition completed; site is raw land awaiting new entitlements.
- Context: Located near U.S. Route 290 and Loop 610 transit corridors; floodplain or environmental constraints are not stated in the record.
- Market signal: Harris County grew 3.4% from 2018‑2023, indicating regional population growth.
What we do not know yet
- Exact ownership status after demolition (whether Levcor still holds title) is not specified.
- Zoning, land‑use approvals, or entitlement status for the cleared parcel are unknown.
- Floodplain, wetland, or environmental review details are absent from the record.
- Utility infrastructure availability and condition are not described.
- Any existing demolition permits, remediation requirements, or liens are not mentioned.
Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.
Similar sites
- North DeKalb Mall, Decatur, GA · Malls · similar GLA (635,000 sq ft); opened 1965; closed 2020
- Landmark Mall, Alexandria, VA · Malls · similar GLA (880,000 sq ft); opened 1965; closed 2017
- Lincoln Mall, Matteson, IL · Malls · similar GLA (990,000 sq ft); opened 1973; closed 2015
- Six Flags Mall, Arlington, TX · Malls · similar GLA (1,049,000 sq ft); opened 1970; closed 2016
Elsewhere on the web
Retail history: Northwest Mall on DeadMalls.com photos, field notes and visitor memories since 2000; matched by name and city; nothing copied here
Pages with photos
- Northwest Mall (demolished May 2026) commons.wikimedia.org
- 555 Northwest Mall, Houston, TX 77092 | LoopNet loopnet.com
- Once 'the place to go,' Northwest Mall is almost gone houstonchronicle.com
- Northwest Mall’s days are numbered as final tenant prepares to move o… houstonhistoricretail.com
- Northwest Mall In Houston, TX Once Thrived - So What Went Wrong ... bestattractions.org
- Northwest Mall (closed 2017), … reddit.com
- Northwest Mall Final Hour, Houston, TX youtube.com
- Northwest Mall - Royal Blue / XS localvyntage.com
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Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar
Multifamily screen
- closed or demolished site (sourced)
- 794,144 sq ft GLA (large site)
- county grew 3.4% 2018–23
Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.
History and original facts
| Opened | 1968Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Closed | 2017extracted, unreviewed documentedDue to poor performance, high vacancy rates, and severe disrepair and damage from Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Harvey, Northwest Mall closed permanently on March 31, 2017. |
| Gross leasable area | 794,144 sq ftEsri 2014 layer reported |
| Stores at peak | 79Esri 2014 layer reported |
| Original developer | The Rouse Companyextracted, unreviewed documentedBoth Northwest and Almeda were developed by the Rouse Co., through subsidiaries Northwest Mall, Inc. and Almeda Mall, Inc. respectively. |
| Architect | Ray Bailey Architects |
| Anchors | Macy's, JCPenney, Palais Royal, All Shoes $9.99, Foley's, Woolworth's, Battelstein's |
| Address | Loop 610 & Hwy. 290 |
| County | Harris |
| Census division | 7 · West South Central |
| Notes | Wikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States |
Not yet recorded: acres, retrofit year. Know it? Tell us.
Background
Northwest Mall was a shopping mall located in the Lazybrook/Timbergrove neighborhood of Houston, Texas near the intersection of U.S. Route 290 and Loop 610. The mall opened in October 1968, two weeks after its sister property, Almeda Mall, opened on the south side of Houston. Both Northwest and Almeda were developed by the Rouse Co., through subsidiaries Northwest Mall, Inc. and Almeda Mall, Inc. respectively. The malls were nearly twins of each another. Northwest Mall was originally anchored by JCPenney and Foley's, with Woolworth's, Palais Royal, and Houston based Battelstein's as its three junior anchors.
Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.
Timeline
- 1968 Opened (Wikidata)
- 1968 Mall opened in October 1968
- 2000 JCPenney closed
- 2006 Mall about 64% occupied; Glimcher Realty Trust put mall up for sale
- 2007 Levcor Inc purchased main mall
- 2008 Hurricane Ike damage; Bath & Body Works and Macy's closed
- 2012 Carolyn Thompson's Antique Center moved into former JCPenney space
- 2017 Mall closed permanently
- 2021 Carolyn Thompson's Antique Center closed
- 2026 Demolition began
- 2026 Demolition completed
Sources
- found by hermes-web (staffboxfree) · supports: after notes, original developer, status, strategy, year closed
21 quoted sentences
Due to poor performance, high vacancy rates, and severe disrepair and damage from Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Harvey, Northwest Mall closed permanently on March 31, 2017.
Both Northwest and Almeda were developed by the Rouse Co., through subsidiaries Northwest Mall, Inc. and Almeda Mall, Inc. respectively.
The mall is now fully vacant, and demolition has begun as of April 9, 2026 and has been demolished as of May 11, 2026.
The mall is now fully vacant, and demolition has begun as of April 9, 2026 and has been demolished as of May 11, 2026.
- found by hermes-web (staffboxfree)
1 quoted sentence
Houston-based Levcor bought the mall from Glimcher Realty Trust in a deal that closed earlier this week.
- Esri StoryMaps: Closed_US_Malls feature layer (2014) · 2014-10-02
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