Renovated Richardson Square Mall eyes 2026 opening

Tran said he wanted to update the traditional mall model, offering a range of experiences and a modern look with outdoor corridors linking the mall’s buildings. Tran said he hopes the environment will encourage people to hang out at the mall rather than just shop and leave.

“It’s not about buying stuff anymore,” Tran said. “You go to a place you enjoy, that is something you cannot buy online.”

Tran sees the project as more than just one mall’s renovation—he said Richardson will be his launching pad for a nationwide model of malls that could have 200 locations.

“We want to build not just a business but a legacy,” Tran said.

A closer look

The mall will be built around a food hall created by Garza’s company National Food Hall Solutions, alongside the first U.S. location of Japanese grocery store Aeon and additional restaurants and retail spots.

“We think the marriage between the grocery store aspect and the food hall aspect, there’s some magic there,” Garza said.

Tran said Aeon will provide an experience for shoppers based around the discovery of new items, rather than just “going to the store to buy a product.”

City Manager Don Magner said the city encouraged Tran to make the mall a “true international destination” providing food, entertainment and retail from all around the world.

Garza said the mall will be an “all-day experience.” The food hall is in the early planning stages, Garza said, and he was not able to disclose specific restaurants, but it will likely have around 10 stalls with a variety of options.

“You’re going to have an awesome gourmet burger place. We’re going to have a taco stand,” Garza said. “We’ll have the Asian cuisine to mirror the community. We’re going to have a nice blend that pulls in all audiences.”

Garza said the focal point of the food hall will be a bar with space to host regular events, from live music to fundraisers that partner with local schools and community organizations.

“It would be like the heartbeat of the community,” Garza said. “Most food halls and projects like this bring community together, and that’s what we want to do.”

Zooming out

Tran said he wants to use the mall to bring traffic not only to the shopping center but to all of Richardson.

“People were looking for this revitalization,” Garza said. “We think we could do something really special with it and bring it back to its glory days.”

Magner said there is demand for more retail and sit-down restaurants in the southeast area of Richardson, and the revitalized mall could be a “catalyst” for others to invest in the area.

“This will be by far the largest revitalization project of a commercial site that we’ve seen in that part of town,” Magner said. “It’s a real proof of concept that when a project is developed thoughtfully, when a diverse set of uses are brought together that are complementary, then that market will support that project.”

Tran said the mall’s position as the launching pad for his planned malls around the country could bring Richardson nationwide recognition.

What's next

Garza said the January winter storm created some delays in construction, and it will take a few months to finish the outside of the structure, followed by interior work.

“We’re hoping to get something out late summer [or] early fall, at least some of the components,” Garza said. “You’ll see a lot of movement here over the next couple of months.”