South Hulen Street and Overton Ridge Boulevard
Fort Worth, Texas
Maryland's James Rouse Company developed Fort Worth's HULEN MALL in a joint venture with Cincinnati's Federated Stores, who operated the Dallas-based Sanger-Harris chain. The dual-level, fully-enclosed shopping complex was built on a 58.8-acre site, located 5.8 miles southwest of center city Fort Worth.
The HOK (Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum) firm designed the original HULEN MALL, which encompassed 580,000 leasable square feet and housed eighty-seven stores and services. A 3-level (200,000 square foot), Dallas-based Sanger-Harris opened for business May 5, 1977. The south anchor, a 2-level (154,000 square foot) Montgomery Ward, was dedicated along with the mall, on August 4, 1977.
Charter HULEN MALL tenants included Casual Corner, Magic Pan Creperie, The Limited, Luby's-Romana's Cafeteria, The Gap, Cullum & Boren Sporting Goods and Chick-Fil-A. A freestanding multiplex, the United Artists Hulen Cinema 6, was built in the southwest parking area. Its first features were shown on June 1 1979. The venue was reconfigured as the United Artists Hulen Cinema 10, which opened on May 23, 1986.
Retail rivals were aplenty in overmalled Dallas-Fort Worth. At the top of the list would have been RIDGEMAR MALL {4.4 miles northwest, in Fort Worth}, inaugurated in 1976. THE PARKS AT ARLINGTON {15.5 miles east, in Arlington} became a major competitor in 1988. The city's first mall, SEMINARY SOUTH CENTER {3.9 miles east, in Fort Worth}, had been dedicated in 1962. However, it had been outpositioned when the more upscale HULEN MALL opened for business.
Anchor rebrandings commenced when the Sanger-Harris store received a Houston-based Foley's nameplate, in July 1987. The second anchor alteration at HULEN MALL involved Montgomery Ward, shuttered in March 2001. The store space re-opened, as a Sears, on March 21, 2002. The third HULEN MALL nameplate change occurred in September 2006, when Foley's was "Macy-ated."
Construction on a major enlargement of the shopping center had commenced in July 1993. A 2-level West Wing was built, which was anchored by a 3-level (230,000 square foot) Dillard's. A new parking deck was included in the project. In all, 336,700 square feet -and forty stores and services- were added. New tenants included Frederick's of Hollywood, Britches Great Outdoors, American Eagle Outfitters, Champs Sports, Chico's, Footaction USA and Body Shop International. The 12-bay Picnic Food Court now served diners on the mall's Upper Level.
The official dedication of the expansion, held on August 24, 1994, was attended by Kay Granger (Mayor of Fort Worth) and William Dillard (Dillard's Chairman of the Board). HULEN MALL now housed around 916,700 leasable square feet and contained 140 stores and services under its roof..
News of a subsequent renovation surfaced in August 1998. A (144,000 square foot) Nordstrom was proposed as a fourth anchor. The following March, plans for a fifth anchor, a (130,000 square foot) Lord & Taylor, were released to the press. This expansion would never be built.
Chicago-based General Growth Properties acquired the assets of the Rouse Company in November 2004, with HULEN MALL being added to the GGP portfolio. On September 7, 2007, the existing 10-plex cinema re-opened, as the Movie Tavern at Hulen Mall. The theatrical venue, which had been thoroughly remodeled, was now a state-of-the-art cinema, bistro and bar.
A face lift renovation of HULEN MALL got underway in early 2011. Shopping concourses were given new flooring and paint, with updated furniture provided for the Picnic Food Court. On the exterior, a three-unit "outdoor dining component" was built along the east-facing front of the complex. The first new bistro, BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, opened its doors on October 31, 2011. Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy was dedicated on March 5, 2012, followed by Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, on August 26, 2013.
Meanwhile, the Movie Tavern was renovated and expanded. High-tech digital projection was installed, along with a restaurant-bar and three new auditoriums. A grand re-opening was held November 13, 2012. The reconfigured venue still housed 10 screens.
Brookfield Property Partners, based in Hamilton, Bermuda, acquired a share of General Growth Properties in 2016. In August 2018, Brookfield established 100 percent ownership of the corporation. Hence, HULEN MALL became part of the Brookfield retail center portfolio. Sears pulled the proverbial plug on their HULEN MALL store in August 2020.
News of a subsequent renovation surfaced in August 1998. A (144,000 square foot) Nordstrom was proposed as a fourth anchor. The following March, plans for a fifth anchor, a (130,000 square foot) Lord & Taylor, were released to the press. This expansion would never be built.
Chicago-based General Growth Properties acquired the assets of the Rouse Company in November 2004, with HULEN MALL being added to the GGP portfolio. On September 7, 2007, the existing 10-plex cinema re-opened, as the Movie Tavern at Hulen Mall. The theatrical venue, which had been thoroughly remodeled, was now a state-of-the-art cinema, bistro and bar.
A face lift renovation of HULEN MALL got underway in early 2011. Shopping concourses were given new flooring and paint, with updated furniture provided for the Picnic Food Court. On the exterior, a three-unit "outdoor dining component" was built along the east-facing front of the complex. The first new bistro, BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, opened its doors on October 31, 2011. Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy was dedicated on March 5, 2012, followed by Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, on August 26, 2013.
Meanwhile, the Movie Tavern was renovated and expanded. High-tech digital projection was installed, along with a restaurant-bar and three new auditoriums. A grand re-opening was held November 13, 2012. The reconfigured venue still housed 10 screens.
Brookfield Property Partners, based in Hamilton, Bermuda, acquired a share of General Growth Properties in 2016. In August 2018, Brookfield established 100 percent ownership of the corporation. Hence, HULEN MALL became part of the Brookfield retail center portfolio. Sears pulled the proverbial plug on their HULEN MALL store in August 2020.
Sources:
The Dallas Morning News
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
http://www.therousecompany.com (Website archived on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
http://www.ggp.com / General Growth Properties
Tarrant County, Texas property tax assessor website
http://www.cinematreasures.org
Tarrant County, Texas property tax assessor website
http://www.cinematreasures.org
"Hulen Mall" article on Wikipedia
