Shoppes at Southpointe: Amarillo's Never-Built Outlet-Style Mall

Shopping is one of those things people have fallen in love with. Before online shopping became so popular, people went to places called malls. Now, malls are doing their best to hold on, but more and more stores are going out of business, fewer and fewer stores are moving in, and fewer people go shopping at a mall.

One of the coolest places to go when it came to shopping malls was an outlet mall because it had all your favorite stores, and it had all those products at a discounted price. You felt you were getting such a great deal when you walked into someplace like Neiman Marcus and got the latest, coolest fashion at half off. Amarillo was one of those places that never had an outlet mall. However, I believe that Amarillo nearly got an outlet mall in the mid-2000s.

Although the developers never said that it was going to be an outlet mall, the description screamed outlet mall.

What Was The Shoppes at Southpointe Supposed to Be?

According to an article on Security Infowatch, an open-air mall called The Shoppes at Southpointe was supposed to open in Amarillo in 2007. The developer, Trotman Co., Inc., had over 100 acres of land at the corner of I-27 and Loop 335 under contract.

The Shoppes at Southpointe as a "lifestyles center," shops situated along a sidewalk-lined thoroughfare with curbside parking. The center will include outdoor cafes and courtyards where shoppers can relax

How Big Was The Shoppes at Southpointe Going to Be?

The proposed lifestyles center was supposed to be 300,000 square feet to 700,000 square feet.

How Would an Outlet Mall Have Changed Amarillo?

Amarillo is the heart of I-40 in Texas, and it’s got some pretty cool touristy spots. Can you imagine if we had gotten a mall like this back in the day when outlet malls were hot and cool and amazing? Amarillo would have had a lot more people coming through, staying just to shop at that mall. Although that area at Hollywood Road and I-27 has seen tremendous growth, a mall would have led to more hotels, more restaurants, and more things to do in the area a lot sooner.

What Happened to the Southpointe Plans?

But unfortunately, the plans for this mall fell through. According to an article on My Plainview in August 2006, the developers put the mall on hold because "the Amarillo Market isn't ready for it." The proposed property for The Shoppes at Southpointe is still an empty field.

Will Amarillo Ever Get an Outlet Mall?

Now, many outlet malls across the country are just shells of what they used to be, and unless something changes, I don’t think they will ever have a revival, nor do I think Amarillo will ever have an outlet mall. Online shopping has been the death of malls everywhere. Back then, it would’ve been really cool if that outlet mall, err, lifestyles center had been built.