The Mall at Turtle Creek

The Mall at Turtle Creek was an enclosed shopping mall in Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States. Developed on a roughly 73-acre site, the property was planned as a regional retail destination with a “Main Street” layout: about 100 stores were arranged along two opposing sides of an interior concourse, with pedestrian walkways and temporary or small-format vendors occupying portions of the central areas. The mall was designed to serve Jonesboro and surrounding communities in northeastern Arkansas, and all four routes of the Jonesboro Economical Transit system served the location. Construction began in September 2004. Target and JCPenney opened in late 2005, followed by Dillard’s in early 2006. The remainder of the center opened in March 2006, making it notable as the only enclosed shopping mall reported to have opened in the United States that year. At its peak, the mall contained approximately 750,000 square feet of gross retail space and was described as the fifth-largest mall in Arkansas. The original anchor configuration consisted of Dillard’s at the eastern end, Target at the western end, and JCPenney at the southwest end. Junior anchors included Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, and Bed Bath & Beyond. The center’s tenant mix combined department stores, specialty retail, books, electronics, home furnishings, dining, and other conventional mall services. Its positioning was that of a conventional regional enclosed mall rather than a national standalone retail brand. Ownership changed in February 2013, when Rouse Properties acquired the mall from Turtle Creek Partners, LLC. Rouse Properties was acquired by Brookfield Asset Management in July 2016, bringing the property into Brookfield’s portfolio. Following Brookfield’s acquisition of General Growth Properties, Rouse Properties was absorbed into Brookfield Properties in August 2018. The mall’s operating history was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and a major tornado. It had been temporarily closed under pandemic restrictions when an EF3 tornado crossed Jonesboro on March 28, 2020, striking the mall and nearby areas. The storm heavily damaged the main entrance and most of the mall’s retail space. The property was nearly empty because of the temporary closure, and no fatalities were reported in Jonesboro, although 22 people were injured in the city. Dillard’s, JCPenney, and Target later reopened in surviving or repairable portions of the property. Barnes & Noble announced in September 2020 that it would not reopen. The enclosed mall was not rebuilt after the tornado. The surviving retail buildings represented approximately 364,199 square feet of remaining retail floor area, according to the referenced account, while the damaged central mall area increasingly resembled a construction site. Brookfield Properties received a city cleanup notice in 2021, and cleanup activity subsequently began. Spinoso Real Estate Group was assigned third-party management responsibility in 2023. In September 2025, Haag Brown Commercial Development & Real Estate acquired the site for $4.85 million and announced plans for a 96,000-square-foot open-air power center, with construction anticipated to begin in 2026. The redevelopment plan marked a transition from the former enclosed-mall format to a smaller open-air retail center.

The Mall at Turtle Creek was conceived as a major enclosed retail center for Jonesboro, Arkansas, and the surrounding northeastern Arkansas market. Its developers were Turtle Creek Partners, LLC, a group associated with David E. Hocker, Martin Belz, and Bruce Burrow. Construction began in September 2004 on a site of approximately 73 acres. The development used a rectangular plan and sought to distinguish itself through a “Main Street” concept, with roughly 100 stores facing one another across two sides of an interior pedestrian environment. The anchor stores opened in stages. Target and JCPenney began operations in late 2005, while Dillard’s opened in early 2006. The remainder of the shopping center held its grand opening in March 2006. The center was notable because it was reported to be the only enclosed mall to open in the United States during that year. Its anchor plan placed Dillard’s at the east end, Target at the west end, and JCPenney at the southwest end. Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, and Bed Bath & Beyond served as junior anchors along the southeast portion. At full scale, the property had approximately 750,000 square feet of gross area and ranked among Arkansas’s largest malls. The mall changed ownership in February 2013, when Rouse Properties purchased it from Turtle Creek Partners, LLC. Brookfield Asset Management acquired Rouse Properties in July 2016, and the mall consequently became part of Brookfield’s real-estate portfolio. In August 2018, Rouse Properties was absorbed into Brookfield Properties after Brookfield acquired the former parent structure associated with General Growth Properties. In March 2020, the mall was temporarily closed as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. At approximately 5:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time on March 28, a tornado moved through the east side of Jonesboro. The storm affected the mall, Jonesboro Municipal Airport, and nearby commercial and residential areas. The tornado caused severe damage to the mall’s main entrance and most of its retail stores. Because the center was already closed and nearly empty, the mall itself did not become a mass-casualty scene. Jonesboro recorded 22 injuries and no fatalities in the event described by the reference material. Only Dillard’s, JCPenney, and Target subsequently reopened at the property. Barnes & Noble stated on September 4, 2020, that it would not return. The surviving stores occupied portions of the site, while the central enclosed mall was not reconstructed. The remaining retail floor area was reported as approximately 364,199 square feet. In 2021, the city issued Brookfield Properties a 30-day notice requiring cleanup of the property; cleanup began several months later. By 2022, the site had still not been rebuilt and was described as resembling a construction area. Local officials encouraged redevelopment, but the city had limited control over the privately owned property. Brookfield Properties did not provide a public position on the mall’s future in the cited account. Spinoso Real Estate Group became a third-party manager in 2023. In September 2025, Haag Brown Commercial Development & Real Estate acquired the site for $4.85 million. Haag Brown announced a planned 96,000-square-foot open-air power center and began recruiting national retailers, including some businesses that had previously operated at the mall. Construction was anticipated to start in 2026. This proposal represents a shift from the property’s original enclosed regional-mall model to a smaller open-air power-center format.

• 2025

  Site acquired for planned power-center redevelopment

  [1]The Mall at Turtle Creeken.wikipedia.org

  Haag Brown acquires the property and announces plans for a 96,000-square-foot open-air retail center.

• 2023

  Third-party management begins

  [1]The Mall at Turtle Creeken.wikipedia.org

  Spinoso Real Estate Group is assigned to manage the property.

• 2020

  Tornado severely damages the property

  [1]The Mall at Turtle Creeken.wikipedia.org

  A tornado crossing Jonesboro damages the main entrance and most of the mall’s retail stores.

• 2018

  Rouse Properties is absorbed into Brookfield Properties

  [1]The Mall at Turtle Creeken.wikipedia.org

  Rouse Properties is integrated into Brookfield Properties following Brookfield’s broader corporate acquisition.

• 2016

  Brookfield Asset Management acquires Rouse Properties

  [1]The Mall at Turtle Creeken.wikipedia.org

  The mall enters Brookfield Asset Management’s portfolio through its acquisition of Rouse Properties.

• 2013

  Rouse Properties acquires the mall

  [1]The Mall at Turtle Creeken.wikipedia.org

  Rouse Properties purchases the property from Turtle Creek Partners, LLC.

• 2006

  Mall grand opening

  [1]The Mall at Turtle Creeken.wikipedia.org

  Dillard’s opens early in the year, and the remainder of the enclosed mall opens in March.

• 2005

  First anchor stores open

  [1]The Mall at Turtle Creeken.wikipedia.org

  Target and JCPenney open their stores at the developing mall.

• 2004

  Construction begins

  [1]The Mall at Turtle Creeken.wikipedia.org

  Construction of The Mall at Turtle Creek begins on a roughly 73-acre site in Jonesboro.

Regional enclosed shopping center serving Jonesboro and surrounding communities in northeastern Arkansas.

• Shopping mall · 2006

  The Mall at Turtle Creek enclosed shopping center

  The principal offering was a regional enclosed shopping environment containing department stores, specialty retailers, junior anchors, food and dining uses, and consumer services. The center’s interior design followed a rectangular “Main Street” concept, with stores arranged along opposing sides of pedestrian circulation areas. Before the 2020 tornado, the property covered approximately 750,000 square feet of gross area.

• Retail development · 2025

  Planned open-air power center redevelopment

  Following the tornado and the failure to rebuild the enclosed mall, Haag Brown announced a proposed 96,000-square-foot open-air power center for the former mall site. The plan was intended to recruit national retailers, potentially including former mall tenants, and construction was anticipated to begin in 2026.

• 2025

  Conversion from enclosed mall site to open-air power centerStrategy

  Background

  After the tornado-damaged mall remained unreconstructed, Haag Brown acquired the site and pursued a different retail format.

  Action taken

  Haag Brown announced plans for a 96,000-square-foot open-air power center and began recruiting national retailers.

  Aftermath

  The redevelopment plan would replace the former enclosed-mall concept with a smaller open-air retail destination; construction was anticipated to begin in 2026.

  Acquisition price. 4850000 USD (September 2025)

  Source

• 2020

  Post-tornado operations limited to surviving anchor storesStrategy

  Background

  The March 2020 tornado damaged the enclosed mall while the property was already closed under pandemic restrictions. Most retail areas could not resume normal operations.

  Action taken

  Dillard’s, JCPenney, and Target reopened in surviving or repaired portions of the property, while the central enclosed mall was not rebuilt. Barnes & Noble separately announced that it would not reopen.

  Aftermath

  The property ceased functioning as a complete enclosed shopping mall and remained largely undeveloped or under cleanup while the surviving stores operated separately.

  Source

1. 1The Mall at Turtle Creeken.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Mall at Turtle Creek official websitemallatturtlecreek.com