On August 3, 2001, the last enclosed mall built in Texas opened its doors to an estimated 250,000 visitors. The mall seemed like it would be a sure-fire hit, bolstered by big-name department stores like Neiman Marcus, Dillard’s and Lord & Taylor.
Just 39 days later, the events of 9/11 reshaped the economy and consumer behavior, slowing retail growth and exacerbating the challenges facing malls nationwide.
Slowly but surely, spending across the country began to recover, but The Shops at Willow Bend never found its footing. Its struggles came to symbolize something larger: not a mall that missed its moment, but the moment when the American mall itself began to change…