The popular Simon-owned shopping center, University Park Village, has seen both big and small changes over the past year, and it is not slowing down anytime soon. 

New openings and closings have turned the open-air shopping center into a go-to for those who live in the area, while drawing in new customers. 

“Shopping malls like University Park Village have to cater to their customers in their area in order to succeed,” Dr. Charles Freeman, department chair of fashion merchandising, said. “For this one, the brands reflect those of TCU students and families in the Colonial neighborhood.” 

Shifts in the shopping center

One of the anchor stores is the Apple Store. The location opened in 2008 and has served customers for 17 years. Apple has been a major driver for the shopping center, as it is the only DFW location not in the Dallas area.

The store moved locations within UPV when they resigned their lease last year.

With the move, the store now has more square footage, and the interior is updated to Apple’s new store layout. It is the first store in Texas to feature the new look. 

With Jos. A Bank and The Gap closing in 2023 and 2024, the North part of the shopping center became a large vacant area. Apple’s new lease prompted them to take over the area, forcing the Impeccable Pig to shut its doors to provide room for construction. 

According to the store manager, the Impeccable Pig was closed for 7-9 months. Meanwhile, the brand downsized from 23 stores to just seven physical locations. The construction caused them to lose almost nine months of sales before reopening in late July.  

“It was a little frustrating to have one of my favorite stores closed for that long,” Yulisa Marquez, an Impeccable Pig customer, said. “I like shopping in person, so having to shop online was hard for me to try on and return.”

Looking to the future

Over the past year, UPV has seen many new stores open and bring in more customers. The overall theme of the shopping center makes brands not commonly found in this part of the DFW metroplex more accessible, while still catering to its target audience.

New stores that have opened in the past year include Abercrombie & Fitch, Faherty and Southern Tide. Despite these new shopping experiences, there are still empty areas the shopping center can fill.

The Apple store move and the closing of Freebird, a western apparel brand, this past summer, left a large space to fill. Another new vacancy is also coming to UPV with the relocation of the Pottery Barn.

According to the Star-Telegram, the Pottery Barn is moving across the street to the mixed-use development Westbend. The store and its sister store, West Elm, will move into the space that was previously the Market by Macy’s. 

That’s not all the changes. According to building permits filed with the city of Fort Worth, Starbucks will be expanding its dining space.  Vuori, a premium athletic wear brand, will open a new location next door and both projects are planned to be completed next year. 

With all these changes and vacancies, customers will have to wait and see what comes next. In the meantime, they have something to look forward to.