Barton Creek Square: The 1981 Opening of Austin’s Mall
Barton Creek Square opened to the public on August 19, 1981, marking a major retail development on Austin’s southwestern hilltop.
The project by Melvin Simon & Associates introduced a one-million-square-foot regional mall with six major anchor department stores.
Its debut followed years of zoning battles and environmental disputes that tied the new complex to Barton Springs and citywide growth policy…