Soon a long-standing landmark will be no more in Fort Worth. After years of hanging on with hopes of a revival, Ridgemar Mall will bid adieu.
It’s becoming Ridgmark Logistics Crossing, a logistics center. This is a specialized, strategically located facility designed to receive, store, sort, pack, and distribute goods efficiently across a supply chain. Think data center, only with physical goods. Also, it won’t drain electricity or water from folks living nearby. Ramrock Real Estate finalized a deal late in the summer to purchase the property.
While it won’t happen overnight, the mall so many people frequented over five decades – well, not so much in current years, hence the likely reason for change to begin with – will be gone by this time a couple of years from now. Full structural teardown is anticipated around late 2027 or 2028. JC Penney, the mall’s anchor store, is closing its doors permanently on Sunday, Nov. 1. Dillard’s Clearance Center has not announced a closing yet, but like the other few businesses within, they’re awaiting their ultimate fate. Ditto for Cinemark Movie Theater.
While, admittedly, my visits to the mall, like so many others, became less over the years, it is sad to see it go. But then, it was also sad to see it become a remnant of its once popular and packed self, something I was reminded of a couple weeks ago as I stopped in for a walk. The journey through the mall reminded me of Springsteen’s song “My Hometown.” As I strolled slowly through, the lyrics “Now Main Street’s whitewashed windows and vacant stores. Seems like nobody wants to come down here no more” echoed in my thoughts.
DOWNFALL No one thing brought about the downfall of Ridgmar. Rather, it was a combination. When it opened it was a shopping convenience to nearby Carswell Air Force Base, but when the base was changed to a reserve status in the mid-1990s, the local population decreased, cutting into the mall’s shopping base.
Newer malls also took a toll on Ridgmar. Places such as Grapevine Mills and The Parks Mall in Arlington were newer and flashier. Later, sites such as The Shops at Clear Fork also played a role, as did growth along the west corridor of Interstate 20 in Parker County meant folks in that area no longer had to drive into Fort Worth as often.
ATTEMPT TO REVIVE There was an effort to morph Ridgmar into an experiential destination rather than a traditional shopping center. At first, it seemed like a cool adjustment as places such as the SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium and the Military Museum of Fort Worth called it home. There was also a studio expansion for the Texas Ballet Theater. However, the foot traffic just wasn’t there. Also, a formal complaint by PETA into practices at SeaQuest that ultimately led to the aquarium closing in 2024 didn’t help. The museum eventually began seeking a new home and closed its doors in the mall in January.
PERSONAL MEMORIES I moved to the Fort Worth area in 1996 and Ridgmar was one of the first places I visited. Over time many memories were created, including:
*Standing with my best friend Mark and son Justin in the parking lot after a movie when it was 16 degrees outside. Miraculously, none of us got sick. It was a late movie, not much was open, and our intent was to not dally and go home quickly. Almost an hour later, we realized we were freezing a certain part of our anatomy off and did just that.
*Watching many movies at the old Rave theater (now Cinemark), where Justin actually worked for a while. In the old days when one of the many hats I wore was that of a movie critic, a lot of the films I saw were screened there. In fact, if memory serves, it was after one of those screenings we had the now legendary parking lot meeting.
*Taking our granddaughters Zoe and Gracie to the playground that is no longer there. Such a cool addition that made the mall so family friendly. And no visit was complete without a ride in the tiny train right next door, or a visit to the nearby pretzel stand.
*Having family portraits taken at the soon-to-be closed JC Penney.
*Taking our daughter Kinsley to Build-a-Bear. She made lots of furry friends there.
*Getting my lovely wife Junell a bracelet that has a small heart for each of our grandchildren on it. The man in the booth that is no longer there was so patient in helping me pick out the perfect charms for what is one of her most precious pieces of jewelry..
*We also got our wedding rings there, the start of an amazing journey that is now 15 years in and counting.
*Finding a special John Denver CD collection that came from Germany – of all places – in a record store that is no longer there. How it got there the clerk had no idea, but it was certainly a worthwhile discovery. In fact, we were listening to that very collection a couple days ago.
And, of course, one final memory will be made as we plan to go for a last walk around the shell of what once was an anchor for that part of Fort Worth. This time a couple years down the road, driving by will only be a reminder of an old friend who graced us for half a century.
The stores will be long gone years from now, but the memories will remain for some time.
