Concord Mills

Mid-1990s–1999: Development and opening

Western Development Corporation, later spun-off as Mills Corporation in April 1994, began planning on Concord Mills in the mid-1990s as a super-regional "shoppertainment" mall with colorful aesthetics, retail outlets, dining, and attractions.^[6]

Concord Mills was designed by the St. Louis-based Kiku Obata & Company, and was developed as a joint venture with the German-based KanAm.^[7][3] The mall had its grand opening on September 17, 1999 with over 200 stores, originally featuring 65 payphones. Concord Mills made 4,000 jobs, $20 million+ in sales taxes per year, and $26 million in property taxes since 1997.^[8] The mall also featured seven themed neighborhoods, including "Courts" in each one, such as Urban Stage Entertainment Court with nightlife aesthetics, Fashion Court, Style Court, Basketball Court, with rims and netting attached to the ceiling, Best Fest Food Court, Music Court, the NASCAR Racing Court with black-and-white checker flags and vehicle murals (sponsored by NASCAR), another Entertainment Court, and the Runaway Court.^[7] The food court originally featured North Carolina imagery, paying homage to the state.^[9] Simon DeBartolo Group, later Simon Property Group in 1998, held joint venture interests in Concord Mills.^[10]

2000s–2010s: Simon Property Group

Simon sold its interests in Concord Mills to KanAm in May 2002.^[10] However, The Mills Corporation, which was financially struggling by 2006, and its assets, including Concord Mills, would be acquired by Simon Property Group and Farallon Capital Management for $1.64 billion following the rejection of Brookfield Asset Management's offer of $1.35 billion, which was announced in February 2007 and completed in April 2007, with the new branding being The Mills: A Simon Company.^[11][12] In March 2012, Simon Property Group acquired full control of the property's management by buying out Farallon's stake in the Mills portfolio for $1.5 billion.^[13]

Borders Books and Music closed its Concord Mills store in September 2011, as the chain went out of business in the U.S.^[14] Sea Life Aquarium opened at Concord Mills on February 20, 2014, with 5,000 marine creatures, acting as an educational family-friendly attraction.^[15] In April 2016, Simon announced that Concord Mills would undergo an interior renovation starting in May that would deliver an improved shopping experience for families, tourists, and locals. This included the rebranding of the mall's food court into the Dining Pavilion at Concord Mills, with new tile flooring, a white-and-gray color palette, updated LED lighting, and charging stations with WiFi connectivity.^[9]

H. H. Gregg closed its Concord Mills store permanently, following the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy and liquidation of all of its locations.^[16] Bonefish Grill, Outback Steakhouse and Chipotle Mexican Grill were announced to be coming to the mall. The first phase of the renovations was completed in January 2017. H&M opened in the spring of 2017, replacing Saks Off 5th, which closed in 2016.^[17][18][9] Phase II of the renovations, announced by Simon in March 2018, would modernize Concord Mills' exterior, including new signage (Simon's "Double-Diamond" or "Infinity" logo, with the "A Simon Center" wording below it), LED lighting, and a new 70-foot tall tower sign visible from I-85. These renovations were slated for completion by August 2018, but were finished in April 2019 instead.^[19] Both renovation phases were designed by Bergmann Associates (now part of Colliers Engineering & Design), and the main contractor was Graycor Construction Co.^[20]

On September 17, 2019, Concord Mills celebrated its 20th anniversary, and Simon held a three-week event titled "20 Days of Style", featuring special and promotional items from the mall's flagship stores and luxury stores. The payphones were replaced with over 50 cell phone charging stations. Concord Mayor Bill Dusch participated in the event, noting that the mall had grown to provide 4,000 jobs and generated over $20 million in annual sales tax for the region since its 1999 opening.^[8]

2020s–present

In December 2021, a major flyover bridge project was completed to alleviate the chronic traffic congestion on Concord Mills Blvd, providing a direct route from Concord Mills to I-85. City officials are working on a strategic plan to add more sidewalks, bike paths, and pocket parks around the mall area to encourage a more pedestrian-friendly environment.^[21]

Simon Property Group implemented a Youth Supervision Policy on July 31, 2021, requiring minors under 18 to be occupied by an adult after 3 p.m. ET on Fridays and Saturdays. This was a direct response to teen disturbances in the area, initially reported by November 2020, which is when the weekend policy was announced by Simon.^[22]

Primark opened at Concord Mills in May 2023 as part as a global expansion effort.^[23]

Concord Mills celebrated its 25th anniversary in September 2024. Similar to the 2019 event, Dusch also pointed out how the mall had an economic impact in suburban Charlotte.^[24] Dusch stated:

Concord Mills has been a place where memories have been made for families of all ages since it opened. To see our favorite local hot spot thriving 25 years later, leaves me incredibly encouraged. We are excited to see what the next 25 years will bring!

In October 2024, Concord Mills was announced to add several stores and a children's play area, including BoxLunch, HEYDUDE, Cavender's Boot City, Hi Level Fashion and Kids Jungle Playground,^[25] all of which opened in July 2025. At that date, the mall's Dave & Buster's was renovated to include:

• Darts and shuffleboard game suites.
• Human crane.
• Refreshed bowling area.
• Updated menu offerings.
• Revamped event spaces.

Starbucks and Juicy Body Goddess opened at the mall that same month.

Gap Outlet opened in September 2025.^[26] Shake Shack announced on March 3, 2026 that it would open at Concord Mills on March 11.^[27] On March 20, 2026, Simon Property Group sued A Sneaker City for over $600,000 in unpaid rent and lease violations at Concord Mills.^[28]

August 2000 natural-gas explosion

On August 21, 2000, a bulldozer damaged a 16-inch North Carolina Natural Gas line, causing a natural-gas explosion at a construction site nearby Concord Mills that shot flames and debris 100 feet into the air, according to Carolina Power & Light.^[36]

Shoppers immediately evacuated the shopping center, and everyone working at the construction site was viewed as accountable, according to Concord Fire Department spokeswoman Sherry Lee. One construction worker had first-degree burns from the incident. The Mills Corp. quickly clarified that the construction site was not part of the Concord Mills property.^[36]

March 2019 shooting

In March 2019, a man was shot by an 18 year old male inside the AMC theater after a dispute over seating. This incident lead to yet another panic which resulted in a total evacuation. The suspect was arrested the following day and charged with assault with a deadly weapon and intent to kill.^[37]

December 2019 shooting

In December 2019, a 13-year-old girl was struck and killed by a stray bullet after she attempted to escape a fight between a group of teenage males. Two other teenagers were also shot but did not receive life threatening injuries. In an unrelated case, the girl's cousin was himself murdered earlier the same hour.^[38] One of the suspects in the shooting was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and felony riot on the Wednesday morning following the attack.^[39] Two days later, Police announced they had arrested another suspect. This was the first instance of murder on mall property.^[40]

March 2026 traffic collision

On March 6, 2026, a serious collision occurred on I-85 southbound near the Concord Mills Boulevard exit. The crash resulted in two deaths and two injuries, causing significant traffic delays and the closure of multiple lanes for several hours.^[41]