Nearly 50 years after opening its doors, Houston’s Greenspoint Mall is being demolished to make way for a $150 million industrial complex that is expected to support 1,200 jobs.
The project, known as CityNorth Industrial Park, will transform approximately 80 acres near Interstate 45 and Beltway 8 into a 1.2 million-square-foot industrial complex. Plans include facilities for logistics, distribution, and other industrial operations, along with space for retail and service businesses.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire, District B Council Member Tarsha Jackson, and representatives of the development team attended Tuesday’s demolition ceremony, where crews began tearing down part of the mall’s former movie theater.
Dallas-based developer Lincoln, working with New York Life Investment Management, announced its acquisition of the property in September. Developers estimate the project will generate approximately 300 construction jobs and eventually support 1,200 full-time positions once the industrial park is fully developed.
The redevelopment also includes $15 million in public funding from the City of Houston and the North Houston Development Corporation for demolition and public right-of-way improvements.
The funding is tied to efforts to redevelop the Greater Greenspoint area, where the city established Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 11 to support infrastructure improvements and attract private investment. Redevelopment of the former mall property is among the zone’s stated objectives.
Greenspoint Mall opened in August 1976 and operated for nearly five decades before officially closing in July 2024. Once a major shopping destination in North Houston, the property experienced years of declining business activity, departing retailers, and concerns about crime in the surrounding area.
Attempts to redevelop the property were also complicated by its ownership structure. According to the North Houston District, the approximately 120-acre mall site is divided into 11 parcels owned by six separate entities.
The CityNorth project will occupy the central portion of the property, while the former department store sites, which have separate owners, are excluded from the current redevelopment plans.
Fitness Connection, which has operated at the mall since 2005, will remain on the property and relocate to a newly constructed facility measuring approximately 45,000 square feet.
Jackson acknowledged during Tuesday’s ceremony that the industrial redevelopment was not necessarily what residents originally envisioned for the site, but said allowing the property to remain without investment was not a viable option.
Whitmire also welcomed the project, recalling his experiences visiting the mall during its earlier years and expressing frustration over the property’s deterioration.
Demolition and construction are expected to proceed in phases, with the first phase of CityNorth Industrial Park scheduled for completion during the first quarter of 2028.
