Demolition of the vacant Northwest Mall is underway within the Hwy. 290 and Loop 610 corridor, the site for a proposed train station that would offer high-speed travel between Houston and Dallas, a project spokesperson confirmed with Community Impact.
What we know
Demolition began in mid-April and is expected to take approximately 12 months, the spokesperson said. The historic mall, located at 9500 Hempstead Road, Houston, opened in 1968 but shuttered its doors in 2017, causing the building to sit abandoned for nearly 10 years.
The spokesperson did not answer questions regarding the approval process for the proposed high-speed rail project, which has not received an official green light, or a timeline for any construction beyond the demolition.
Some context
According to Community Impact reporting, plans for the conceptual high-speed rail designed to transport passengers from Houston to Dallas in about 90 minutes have undergone several iterations over the past decade.
Texas Central, which has since rebranded to Texas High Speed Rail, originally led the project as a privately funded venture, Community Impact previously reported. Amtrak then temporarily joined the project after receiving a $63.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for delivery of the rail line.
However, the federal government pulled the grant in April 2025 due to ballooning project costs of approximately $40 billion, ultimately ending Amtrak's involvement. The pending project is now expected to be driven by the private sector, according to Community Impact.
The spokesperson declined to provide additional details about updated project costs and funding sources.
Going forward
Many details of the proposed Houston-to-Dallas train remain up in the air, but plans published on the project's website show an intermediate stop in Brazos Valley.
Community Impact will continue to cover the development as more information becomes available.
