NorthPark was evacuated just before noon for “security reasons”, according to mall officials and Dallas police. Police declared the scene secure just after 3 p.m.

DALLAS — NorthPark Center in Dallas was evacuated and closed off to the public for three hours on Wednesday afternoon while officers investigated a bomb threat, according to Dallas police.

In a social media post, police officials said the department was investigating a security incident at the mall. A security official at NorthPark Mall also confirmed to WFAA that the mall was evacuated for security reasons. 

Chopper video from the scene showed officers with the Dallas Police Department, including members of its Explosive Ordinance Disposal team, responding to the scene.  

In a statement, the police said the prominent shopping center was evacuated “out of an abundance of caution” at 11:53 a.m. while officers worked to search and clear the building. As of 3:10 p.m., police declared the mall and the surrounding area secure.

As officers searched the scene, police sources told WFAA that the department did not deem the threat to be credible. 

Police warned motorists to expect traffic congestion at the intersection of North Central Expressway and Northwest Highway and asked that the public avoid the area as officers worked to clear the scene. 

DPD said no other information was yet available.


Recent NorthPark Center evacuations

Wednesday’s evacuation of NorthPark Center is at least the sixth that the prominent shopping center has endured since 2020. Recent past evacuations include:


A brief history of NorthPark Center

Dallas developer Raymond Nasher leased a 97-acre cotton field in the early 1960s to build what would become NorthPark Center. 

NorthPark Center opened July 22, 1965, anchored by Neiman Marcus, Woolworths, Titche-Goettinger and JCPenney. NorthPark has continued to expand over the years, including a 1.2-million-square-foot, $250 million expansion in 2006 designed by Omniplan, the architectural firm that originally designed NorthPark Center.

NorthPark has been owned, at least in part, by the same family since its development. 

Raymond Nasher sold his stake in NorthPark Center to his daughter, Nancy Nasher, and her husband, David J. Haemisegger, in 1995. J.P. Morgan Asset Management acquired a 60% stake in the mall in 2014, according to a FitchRatings report.

Raymond and Patsy Nasher were also known as major art collectors, particularly of contemporary sculptures, and founded the Nasher Sculpture Center. Raymond founded the Dallas Business Council for the Arts in 1988 and served as a board member of the Dallas Museum of Art, the Dallas Opera, the Dallas Symphony, the Dallas Theater Center, Ballet Dallas and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Patsy died in 1988, and Raymond died in 2007. 

The mall they built became known in part for the renowned art collection displayed throughout the facility, which includes pieces from Andy Warhol, Joan Miró, Henry Moore, Frank Stella and KAWS, among others. 

Aside from her role as co-owner of NorthPark, Nancy Nasher remains heavily involved in the Dallas arts scene, including with the Dallas Opera, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Nasher Sculpture Center.

In late 2025, the Nasher family secured a $900 million loan to regain full control of the iconic Dallas shopping center.Â