Hillsboro Outlet mall in Texas to be demolished

HILLSBORO, Texas — A longtime outlet mall along I-35 in north central Texas between DFW and Austin has become nearly empty and will soon be demolished, officials say.

The Outlets at Hillsboro, about 60 miles south of Dallas along I-35 in Hill County, which the Waco-Tribune Herald reports once housed more than 100 stores in its heyday, now has just two – Bath and Body Works and a nail salon, according to the city.

“The mall has been in steady decline for about the past 20 years, and has been almost totally empty for the past five,” Hillsboro City Manager Megan Henderson said.

She said the city plans to redevelop the outlet mall, with construction on part of the project expected to begin soon.

The city entered into an agreement with a developer in March of 2023. Under that agreement, the developer bought the western third of the mall area, or about a 300-foot-wide strip along the interstate frontage, and the city bought the eastern two-thirds.

“We’ll be keeping about 25% of the buildings, which will be reconfigured for use as part of the redevelopment, but 75% will come down,” Henderson said.

She said the western portion of the mall that the developer owns will be the first portion to be redeveloped, and city officials expect to begin construction and announce the businesses that will be included in that part of the project soon.

“That’s what is creating the timeline for demolition,” Henderson said. “It was always anticipated that most of the existing structures would be removed, and now it’s time for that to happen to make way for the new construction.”

The city is planning a four-day sendoff for the mall with a “Mallmageddon” party April 17-20 featuring a carnival, music and more with nods to the outlet mall’s ‘90s heyday.

“Join us for MALLMAGEDDON, a four-day celebration where we’ll bid farewell to the ghost town of empty storefronts and usher in a new era for Hillsboro,” a post on the city’s social media pages announcing the event reads. “This is more than just a demolition party — it’s a celebration of renewal. The walls will crumble, the dust will rise, and we’ll send this dead mall straight to oblivion.”

Many posted their memories of the mall in the comments of the post.

“it’s sad that the thriving mall that could have provided so many jobs is no more,” one wrote. “Hopefully Hillsboro will get something else so we can have more entertainment and more choices than what we have.”

”I grew up in Temple, and enjoyed trips to the Hillsborough Outlet Mall all throughout it’s heyday (and demise). I’ve got some really great memories of shopping with my family there as a teenager and shopping for my own children there as an adult,” another wrote. “I’m so sad to see it go (it’s also been sad to see it as a ghost town!), but if it has to happen…this is the BEST WAY possible!!! I’m so excited to hear about the plans, and I can’t wait to be there.”

The Waco Tribune-Herald reports the mall was built in 1989 as one of the first such discount malls in Texas, was hugely popular and expanded twice in the ‘90s.