Barton Creek Square

Barton Creek Square is an enclosed shopping mall located in southwest Austin, Texas in the United States, near the intersection of Texas State Highway Loop 1 and Texas State Highway Loop 360. The mall is eponymously named after Barton Creek, Texas. Anchor stores are two Dillard's locations, JCPenney, Macy's, and Nordstrom.

Barton Creek Square
Map of Barton Creek Square Mall
LocationAustin, Texas, United States
Coordinates30.2576°N 97.8068°W / 30.2576; -97.8068
Opening dateAugust 19, 1981
DeveloperSimon Property Group
ManagementSimon Property Group
OwnerSimon Property Group
No. of stores and services155[1]
No. of anchor tenants6 (5 open, 1 vacant)
Total retail floor area1,429,503 sq ft (132,805.2 m2)
No. of floors2
Websitesimon.com/mall/barton-creek-square

History
South side of Barton Creek Square

In June 1977, Melvin Simon & Associates announced the development of a shopping mall on a 104-acre (42 ha) tract of land along Texas State Highway Loop 360 in southwest Austin. Initial plans called for over 1 million sq ft (93,000 m2) of retail space and parking capacity for nearly 6,000 cars, which would make the mall the largest in Austin.[2][3] Finalization of plans to extend Texas State Highway Loop 1 ("MoPac") to intersect with Highway 360 adjacent to the planned site delayed construction, but clearing and grading of the land was began by late October 1977.[4][5] Continued delays in the MoPac extension caused further delays in the mall's construction and negotiations between the developers and potential tenants.[6] Designs for Barton Creek Square were finalized in 1978; Gordon Sibeck, designer of the Windsor Park Mall in San Antonio, was selected as the mall's designer.[7] During construction of the mall, worsening water quality on the nearby Barton Creek and the possibility that the mall's construction could do further damage to the creek prompted daily municipal surveillance of the site in 1980.[8][9][10] Erosion control measures were approved for the site after the City of Austin's Environmental Board found the site in violation of city standards.[11][12]

Barton Creek Square Mall opened in 1981 as one of the largest malls in Texas.[13][14] The mall was originally anchored by Sears, JCPenney, Montgomery Ward, Foley's, Dillard's, and the Austin-based Scarbrough's department store.[15] Opening of the mall occurred in phases, with the first stores (Sears and JCPenney) opening on August 1 while construction within the rest of the mall continued.[16] Barton Creek Square officially opened on August 19 with 77 stores out of an anticipated 175–185 businesses; 85,000–90,000 people visited the mall on its opening day.[14] In November 1981, the mall became the first in Texas to have Braille and bold print signage throughout the center.[17]

A renovation in 2003 added a Nordstrom department store in the place of a Montgomery Ward which had gone out of business two years prior.[18] Further renovations occurred in 2013, which included a redesigned food court.[19] In 2015, Sears Holdings spun off 235 of its properties, including the Sears at Barton Creek Square, into Seritage Growth Properties.[20] On October 15, 2018, it was announced that the Sears store would be closing as part of a plan to close 142 stores nationwide. On August 4, 2018, a Disney Junior themed kids zone opened right next to Brighton Collectibles.[21]

In 2019, the mall's owner, Simon Property Group, embarked on a renovation, which included a new paint scheme, flooring, LED lighting, glass handrails, as well as exterior additions such as canopies, fire pits, and turf areas. The renovation also included the addition of a co-working space near Nordstrom, which includes workstations with televisions and charging stations.[22]

On March 17, 2020 the mall limited its hours to 11 am to 7 pm in response to Coronavirus disease 2019; the next day, Simon Property Group announced in a press release[23] it would close all its US domestic malls until March 29. On May 1, 2020, Simon Property Group reopened the mall.[24]

References
  1. "Barton Creek Square" (PDF). Simon Property Group. May 2, 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  2. Frink, David (June 22, 1977). "Mall plans make it largest in Austin". The Austin American–Statesman. Vol. 63, no. 276. Austin, Texas. p. B2. Retrieved May 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Frink, David (June 21, 1977). "Southwest Austin mall planned". The Austin American–Statesman. Vol. 63, no. 275. Austin, Texas. p. B1. Retrieved May 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Frink, David (September 4, 1977). "Senior citizens activity center near completion". The Austin American–Statesman. Vol. 107, no. 35. Austin, Texas. p. C5. Retrieved May 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Frink, David (October 23, 1977). "Construction in S. Austin zooms". The Austin American–Statesman. Vol. 107, no. 82. Austin, Texas. p. C6. Retrieved May 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Frink, David (March 30, 1978). "MoPac uncertainty stymies giant mall". The Austin American–Statesman. Vol. 107, no. 239. Austin, Texas. p. B20. Retrieved May 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. Frink, David (March 30, 1978). "Southwest Austin mall could blossom into largest in state". The Austin American–Statesman. Vol. 108, no. 78. Austin, Texas. p. B8. Retrieved May 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Kelly, Lee (June 22, 1980). "Mall builders scurry to protect Barton Creek". The Austin American–Statesman. Vol. 110, no. 336. p. B1. Retrieved May 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Coggins, Cheryl (June 17, 1980). "State hears gripes on creek's runoff". The Austin American–Statesman. Vol. 110, no. 331. Austin, Texas. p. B1. Retrieved May 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. Collier, Bill (August 28, 1979). "Protection plan urged along creek". The Austin American–Statesman. Vol. 109, no. 33. Austin, Texas. p. B1. Retrieved May 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. Kelly, Lee (June 26, 1980). "Engineer to monitor erosion in watersheds". The Austin American–Statesman. Vol. 110, no. 340. p. B4. Retrieved May 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Pollution solution reached quickly". The Austin American–Statesman. Vol. 110, no. 341. June 27, 1980. p. A16. Retrieved May 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. Edgemon, Erin (February 15, 2019). "Why Simon is overhauling Barton Creek Square mall". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  14. Douthat, Bill (August 20, 1981). "90,000 see big opening of South Austin's mall". The Austin American–Statesman. Austin, Texas. p. B1. Retrieved May 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. Iadenorf, Kirk (August 12, 1981). "Mall may get seventh big store". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  16. Ladendorf, Kirk (August 2, 1981). "Mall's major stores open doors". The Austin American–Statesman. Vol. 111, no. 8. Austin, Texas. p. C15. Retrieved May 18, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. Powell, Rebecca (November 15, 1981). "Barton Creek Square Mall Becomes The First Texas Shopping Mall To Install Braille Signage". Austin, Texas. Southwest Newswire.
  18. "After a Fashion".
  19. Dinges, Gary. "Dinges: Barton Creek Square mall getting face-lift". Austin American-Statesman.
  20. "At Barton Creek Square | Seritage". seritage.com.
  21. "Disney Junior Play Zone Grand Opening | Barton Creek Mall".
  22. Hawkins, Lori (February 14, 2019). "Barton Creek Square is getting a makeover to get you to hang out longer". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  23. "Simon Property Group Temporarily Closes All Domestic Properties". March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  24. "Coronavirus in Central Texas: Some stores reopen, but shoppers scarce". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2022-05-26.


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