The details are still sketchy, but it seems that Wal-Mart’s infestation of America will bring the mega-retailer to the corner of Anderson Lane and Burnet Road, displacing/replacing/assimilating North Austin landmark Northcross Mall.
I’m not sure exactly what the plans are, but I first learned about it while I was stuck in a Sacramento hotel room reading Greg Beets’ blog. Turns out that Beets lives in the general area and is attending the neighborhood meetings where the brunt of the outcry against this can be heard. Upon further searching, this has been in the works for a good long while.
Anyone who grew up in North Austin in the last 10-20 years can attest what Northcross used to mean to the city, both socially and economically. The mall was a huge influence on me through the years, most notably in that it’s where I bought my first CD (anyone remember Hastings?) and I was an assistant manager at the ice rink back in the day, which was quite literally like working in a fishbowl. Morgan and Deanna and Shelly and me used to do a fair chunk of our pre-majority drinking at the old Chelsea Street Pub (I’ll never forget Todd playing the duct-tape on stage with Natalie Zoe).
Of course, the mall had fallen on hard(er) times the last few years, though I still trek there semi-regularly to give Guitar Center some of my money.
