NorthPark Center opened in 1965 at the intersection of US 75 and Northwest Highway. It was the first enclosed, climate-controlled mall in Dallas.
The first design featured a long main hallway with anchors such as Neiman Marcus, Titche-Goettinger, and JCPenney, as well as Woolworth’s, Doubleday, and Kroger.
A new wing was added in 1973. In 2006, the layout was rebuilt as a full square, with a central garden called CenterPark and new shops surrounding it.
NorthPark Center grew to more than 200 stores, such as Nordstrom, Dillard’s, and an AMC theater with 15 screens.
As other malls declined, NorthPark Center continues to attract crowds and luxury brands like Prada and Saint Laurent.
The mall saw more than 27 million visitors in 2023, which was much higher than typical enclosed malls.
Origins and Early Concept (1961–1965)
NorthPark Center began as a long-term land lease between the Caruth Foundation and developer Raymond Nasher.
The project got underway in the early 1960s by clearing 97 acres of cotton fields outside Dallas.
Nasher brought in architects E.G. Hamilton and George Harrell of Harrell+Hamilton, later known as Omniplan.
The building was designed as a single-story, climate-controlled corridor with brick and concrete, lit by skylights.
The first confirmed anchor to sign on was Neiman Marcus, which relocated from Preston Center.
It was followed by Titche-Goettinger and JCPenney. Along the main concourse, tenants included Woolworth’s, Doubleday Book Shop, and Kroger.
Shops were placed on both sides of a straight main hallway.
Work on the mall started in 1963. At its opening in July 1965, the site had 63 stores and more than one million square feet of space.
Parking was built for 5,000 vehicles, laid out in wide lots with no overstructure.
It was uncommon for a mall to be fully air-conditioned, but this one was, and lighting came from skylights and hanging fixtures.
Growth into the 1970s
NorthPark Center began its first major expansion in 1973.
A second wing was built, expanding the mall and adding Lord & Taylor as a new anchor store.
That store opened in April 1974. A few months later, over 30 additional shops opened in the new Northwest Wing.
The expansion took NorthPark’s total leasable space to more than 1.3 million square feet.
Adding a two-level wing changed the mall from a straight to a U-shaped layout.
This allowed for larger anchor stores and enabled people to move between three different sections of the mall.
Neiman Marcus and Titche-Goettinger held one end, JCPenney the other, and Lord & Taylor filled the middle of the new wing.
Escalators were added near the Lord & Taylor entrance, giving vertical access to the upper level and connecting the new concourse.
The parking design for the expanded footprint was handled by Richard Myrick, who laid out four new lots with separated service roads.
Landscaping used a mix of oak trees and crushed granite walkways along the main entry paths.
The bricks and floor materials matched those in the original part of the mall.
The lighting design followed the same skylight pattern, with daylight filtering in along the ceiling spine.
There was no food court yet, but seating was added near the anchor courts.
Corporate Transitions and Anchor Evolution (1979–1999)
In February 1979, Allied Stores took ownership and renamed Titche-Goettinger as Joske’s.
The transition left the anchor footprint and layout unchanged. Neiman Marcus added a fourth floor to its NorthPark store in 1984.
The extension brought its total square footage to just over 208,000.
Elevators and escalators were installed inside the store, but the main mall hallway remained at one level.
Dillard’s acquired the Joske’s chain in 1987. Its NorthPark location was renamed but continued to use the existing building.
Both Dillard’s and Neiman Marcus grew their interior space by turning stockrooms and offices into retail areas.
No major structural changes were made to the common mall areas during this period.
The cinema near JCPenney operated until the late 1990s.
In August 1999, JCPenney closed its NorthPark store. The building was demolished shortly after.
A new anchor was planned for the space.
Meanwhile, ownership of the land shifted when Nancy Nasher and David Haemisegger bought the property from the Caruth Foundation.
They sold half of the mall’s operating company to Macerich but kept control of daily management.
These moves set the stage for the next phase of redevelopment.
The 2006 Expansion and CenterPark (2001–2006)
Demolition of the former JCPenney building began in 2001. The existing cinema was also removed.
Lord & Taylor closed in January 2004. These actions paved the way for a major redevelopment project.
Work started on a new two-story wing in mid-2004. Omniplan was hired again to design the expansion, continuing its role from the 1960s layout.
The new square-shaped plan enclosed a 1.4-acre landscaped garden known as CenterPark.
The design added 260,000 square feet of inline retail and a three-level Nordstrom anchor.
The Nordstrom store opened in May 2006 and became the mall’s largest tenant, with more than 200,000 square feet.
A 15-screen AMC theater was added to the third level.
The new retail hallways made a full loop, connecting Neiman Marcus, Dillard’s, Nordstrom, and Macy’s (formerly Foley’s).
CenterPark included live oak trees, granite walkways, and seasonally planted beds.
Public benches and art installations were placed throughout the garden. The project added direct access to new parking garages.
The floor plans were modified to maintain open views between the main entrances.
Retailers in the new wing included Zara, Lacoste, and H&M.
Art, Architecture, and Landmark Status (2006–2022)
After the 2006 expansion, NorthPark Center maintained its original design language across old and new construction.
White Texas brick was used in all the corridors, so the new sections matched the original 1965 building.
Polished concrete floors were continuous from the old part of the mall into the new areas.
Skylights and clerestory windows were spaced in the same manner as before, so daylight remained the primary source of light along the main hall.
Storefronts in both the old and new wings used glass fronts, with signs either set back or lit from behind.
Art displays were part of the mall from its inception, but they expanded in size after the mall’s expansion.
Art by Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, and Jim Dine was shown in open walkways and entrances.
Sculptures were placed in high-traffic areas near CenterPark and anchor lobbies.
Installations were changed on a regular basis, but the display format remained the same.
The largest works were positioned where they would be visible, including along benches and at main crossroads.
In 2022, NorthPark Center received the Architectural Landmark designation from the Texas Society of Architects.
The award covered both the original 1965 design and the 2006 addition.
Omniplan was credited with preserving the layout and character of the original structure.
All structural work during these years adhered to the material and spatial guidelines established by the original plans.
Recent Tenant and Cultural Additions (2020–2025)
Eataly opened at NorthPark Center in December 2020. It occupied part of the former Barneys New York space near the 2006 expansion wing.
Eataly had various kitchens, grocery counters, and spaces for wine.
The project spanned over 46,000 square feet and was directly connected to the concourse adjacent to Nordstrom.
By 2022, new tenants included Vuori, Rhone, Buck Mason, and Psycho Bunny.
Breitling, St. John, Jo Malone, and Golden Goose also opened locations, most of which were placed along the looped corridors around CenterPark.
The children’s library, Bookmarks, remained open. It was still the first and only Dallas Public Library branch built inside a shopping center.
Eiseman Jewels moved to a temporary location between Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom in May 2024.
They expanded the size of their main store from 4,150 square feet to nearly 6,000 square feet.
The new version has individual boutiques for Rolex, Tudor, and Eiseman.
Lucchese confirmed plans in August 2024 for a new 5,500-square-foot store near Nordstrom Court.
The interior build cost around $2 million and was finished in spring 2025.
In June 2025, the center said Skims, Sisley Paris, and Moncler would be joining as new tenants.
In July, the number of visitors was reported to be up 2 percent for 2024, which was higher than the national average for malls.
NorthPark Center is commemorating 60 years in 2025 with a campaign named NorthPark 60.
As part of this, it presents significant changes in tenants, design, and cultural events that have happened in each decade since it opened.
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