Fort Worth’s largely vacant Ridgmar Mall, once a retail hotspot, soon will face the wrecking ball.
Ramrock Real Estate just bought the 50-year-old mall for an undisclosed amount. Ramrock Real Estate, in partnership with real estate companies Lincoln Property Co. and KBC Advisors, plans to convert the 75-acre site into a nearly 931,000-square-foot logistics center with six warehouses.
KBC Advisors partner Tony Creme tells CultureMap there’s no exact timetable for the few remaining tenants, including a Dillard’s clearance store, to vacate the mall or for demolition of the 1.2 million-square-foot property. Demolition could begin in 12 to 18 months, he says, with construction of Ridgmar 30 Logistics Crossing tentatively expected to start in 2028.
A six-building business park will replace the 50-year-old Ridgmar Mall, Fort Worth’s fully enclosed shopping center.Rendering courtesy of Lincoln Property Co. and KBC Advisors
The 75-acre site is at the northeast corner of I-30 and State Highway 183.
Creme says GK Real Estate owned the mall itself, JCPenney owned its store, and Transformco, which bought Sears out of bankruptcy, owned the former Sears property.
In recent years, Ridgmar has said goodbye to several key tenants, most notably Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, and Sears. Plano-based JCPenney recently said it would close its Ridgmar store on November 1. A self-storage operator occupies the former Macy’s store.
“The mall is not getting many visitors. There’s not many businesses that are open,” says Creme.
Previously, plans had been floated to convert the mall site into a mixed-use development, but Creme says a warehouse project turned out to be the best use for the property.
Creme points out Ridgmar “was once a vibrant hub of social and economic activity in the community” that drew shoppers from throughout the Fort Worth area.
In grand fashion, the mall held a grand opening ceremony in October 1976 attended by Miss Texas Carmen McCollum and actor Frank Gorshin, who portrayed the Riddler on the “Batman” TV series in the 1960s.
The five original anchors at Fort Worth’s first fully enclosed shopping center were a full-price Dillard’s as well as JCPenney, Neiman Marcus, Sears, and local department store Stripling’s. But more than a decade ago, Neiman Marcus led an exodus from Ridgmar, followed by Macy’s and Sears. Dillard’s downgraded its store to a clearance center.
Attempts to revive the mall included the arrival of an interactive aquarium and an H&M store, both of which are now closed.
