Big Town Mall
A former enclosed shopping mall in Mesquite, Texas, remembered as one of the Southwest's earliest air-conditioned malls.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Big Town Mall was a major former shopping center in Mesquite, Texas, a Dallas suburb. Opened in 1959 near U.S. 80 East and Loop 12, it is described as the first enclosed and air-conditioned shopping mall in the Southwest. Its early development reflected the postwar expansion of automobile-oriented retail and suburban commercial life: shoppers could visit department stores, specialty retailers, restaurants, entertainment venues, and community-oriented facilities within a climate-controlled complex. At its height, Big Town Mall included several prominent department-store anchors. JCPenney, Sanger-Harris, and Montgomery Ward were associated with the complex, while an attached Woolworth's became a popular destination because of its broad merchandise selection and food service. The surrounding site also included Bowlanes, a cinema operated by General Cinema, an exhibition hall, Horse and Rider, the A&R Course, and other retail and recreational uses. The mall therefore functioned as more than a conventional collection of stores; it was a regional leisure and gathering destination during the period when enclosed malls were becoming central to American consumer culture. Big Town's competitive position weakened as newer retail developments, particularly Town East Mall, attracted national retailers and local shoppers. The mall retained occupied anchor stores until 1989, when Foley's closed in the space formerly associated with Sanger-Harris. That location was not successfully reoccupied. Additional departures followed during the 1990s, including Woolworth's in 1993. Although the center continued to support privately owned shops, including retailers appealing to younger urban customers, its overall commercial role declined. Montgomery Ward became the final remaining anchor. The department-store chain's bankruptcy and closure in 2001 removed the mall's last major anchor and effectively ended its viability as a traditional regional shopping center. Big Town Mall also acquired a place in popular culture when its exterior appeared as the setting for a fashion show in the 1986 film True Stories; the interior mall scenes in that sequence were filmed at Dallas's NorthPark Center rather than at Big Town. The property received an important temporary civic use after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Its parking area served as a staging point for evacuees arriving in the Dallas area. Authorities conducted initial security and medical screening, provided refreshments, and directed people onward to shelters and reception facilities in communities including Dallas, Fort Worth, Irving, Grand Prairie, and Oklahoma City. This humanitarian role occurred after the mall had ceased to function as a successful retail center but before its demolition. A decision to demolish the mall was made in early 2006. Work began during the week of May 22 and was completed in September. The nearby Big Town Bowling Lanes survived until their demolition in 2011, while the exhibition hall remained and was remodeled in 2013 for continued shows and conventions. In 2016, the remaining site was purchased by FedEx for development of a major distribution hub. Big Town Mall is therefore defunct as a shopping brand and physical mall, but it remains notable in the history of Southwestern enclosed retail, Mesquite's commercial development, and post-Katrina regional relief efforts.
History
Big Town Mall was constructed in 1959 in Mesquite, Texas, just off U.S. 80 East and Loop 12. Its opening came during the rapid growth of automobile-based suburban retail in the United States. The complex is identified as the first enclosed, air-conditioned shopping mall in the Southwest, making it an important early example of a format that later became widespread across the region. By placing stores, dining, recreation, and entertainment inside a climate-controlled environment, the mall offered an alternative to traditional downtown shopping and open-air commercial districts. The complex developed as a broad retail and leisure destination. Its principal anchors included JCPenney, Sanger-Harris, and Montgomery Ward. JCPenney had particular local historical resonance because the store was opened by company founder James Cash Penney. An attached Woolworth's was also a prominent tenant, known for its extensive merchandise assortment and food-court presence. Other facilities around the property included Bowlanes, a General Cinema theater, an exhibition hall, Horse and Rider, the A&R Course, and a half-price shoe store. These uses helped make Big Town a community destination rather than merely a place to buy department-store goods. The mall remained active for decades and retained its major anchors until 1989. That year, Foley's closed in the space previously occupied by Sanger-Harris. The vacant anchor was never successfully replaced. The competitive environment became increasingly difficult as Town East Mall emerged as a more attractive destination for local and national retailers. Big Town nevertheless continued operating with a mixture of smaller stores, including privately owned businesses that appealed to younger and urban-oriented customers. The center's decline accelerated during the 1990s. Woolworth's left in 1993, and other inline retailers departed as the mall's customer traffic and anchor strength weakened. Montgomery Ward became the last major anchor, but the chain's bankruptcy led to the closure of its Big Town store in March 2001. Without a department-store anchor, the mall no longer had the commercial foundation required to operate as a conventional regional shopping center. Big Town Mall also appeared in the 1986 film True Stories. The exterior was used as the location for a fashion-show sequence, while the interior mall footage shown in the film was actually recorded at NorthPark Center in Dallas. This appearance preserved an image of the property after its commercial importance had begun to fade. In September 2005, the former mall served a temporary humanitarian purpose following Hurricane Katrina. Its parking area became a staging point for evacuees being received in the Dallas area. Authorities used the site for weapons checks, medical screening, and distribution of light refreshments before directing evacuees to shelters in Dallas, Fort Worth, Irving, Grand Prairie, Oklahoma City, and other communities. The use demonstrated that the property retained logistical value even after its retail business had deteriorated. A demolition decision was made in early 2006. Work began during the week of May 22 and finished in September, removing the principal mall structures. The associated Big Town Bowling Lanes remained until their demolition in 2011. The exhibition hall survived and was remodeled in 2013 so that it could continue hosting shows and conventions. In 2016, FedEx acquired the remaining property for a major distribution-hub project. The site consequently transitioned from a pioneering shopping destination to a logistics and event-use property, while Big Town Mall itself became a defunct but historically notable retail complex.
- 2016
Former site enters logistics redevelopment
[1]FedEx purchases the remaining site for development of a major distribution hub.
- 2013
Exhibition hall is remodeled
[1]The surviving exhibition hall is remodeled for shows and conventions.
- 2011
Bowling-lane structure is demolished
[1]Big Town Bowling Lanes, one of the remaining associated structures, is demolished.
- 2006
Mall demolition is completed
[1]Demolition begins in May and concludes in September.
- 2005
Hurricane Katrina relief staging
[1]The former mall's parking area is used to process and direct Hurricane Katrina evacuees arriving in the Dallas area.
- 2001
Last anchor closes
[1]Montgomery Ward closes after the chain's bankruptcy, leaving Big Town without a major anchor.
- 1993
Woolworth's departs
[1]The attached Woolworth's store closes amid continuing tenant losses.
- 1989
Foley's closes
[1]Foley's leaves the former Sanger-Harris anchor space, which remains vacant thereafter.
- 1986
Exterior appears in True Stories
[1]The exterior of Big Town Mall is used for a fashion-show sequence in the film True Stories.
- 1959
Big Town Mall opens
[1]The Mesquite complex opens as an enclosed, air-conditioned shopping mall and is recognized as an early pioneer of the format in the Southwest.
Products and positioning
A pioneering suburban regional shopping center that combined climate-controlled retail with department stores, entertainment, and community facilities. In its later years, it was repositioned informally through independent shops serving local and younger urban customers, but it ultimately lost traffic and anchor support to newer competing malls.
Shopping center · 1959
Enclosed shopping mall
Big Town Mall's core offering was a climate-controlled indoor shopping environment combining department stores, inline specialty shops, food service, and public circulation areas. Its enclosed and air-conditioned design was especially significant when opened in 1959, establishing a model later adopted by many Southwestern malls.
Department stores · 1959
Department-store anchors
The mall hosted major department-store anchors including JCPenney, Sanger-Harris, Foley's in the former Sanger-Harris space, and Montgomery Ward. These stores supplied apparel, home goods, general merchandise, and the regular customer traffic on which the center depended.
Variety retail and food service
Woolworth's
The attached Woolworth's was a popular component of the complex, offering a sizable range of everyday merchandise and food-court service. It closed in 1993 as the mall entered a prolonged period of tenant contraction.
Leisure and events
Entertainment and event facilities
The wider complex included bowling, a General Cinema theater, an exhibition hall, and other recreational or event-oriented facilities. These uses broadened the property beyond retail and helped position it as a local gathering place.
Brand decisions
2016
FedEx acquires the former mall propertyM&ABackground
After the mall and most associated structures had been removed, the former retail site was available for a new use.
Action taken
FedEx purchased the remaining property for development of a major distribution hub.
Aftermath
The site shifted from a historic suburban shopping center toward logistics infrastructure.
2006
Demolition and site transitionStrategyBackground
Following years of declining traffic, anchor closures, and the loss of Montgomery Ward in 2001, Big Town Mall no longer operated as a viable traditionally anchored shopping center.
Action taken
The property owner or developers decided to remove the mall. Demolition began in late May 2006 and was completed in September.
Aftermath
The mall structures disappeared, while the exhibition hall continued in a remodeled form and the site later moved toward logistics development.
Sources1 sources
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