"Once we purchased the mall, we were at about 50% occupancy. And now we're nearing the, the 78% occupancy," Joe Aref told KFDM in September 2026. He is the owner the station quoted about Central Mall. The mall sits at 3100 Highway 365. He also said foot traffic is up about 30% year over year and that people are staying longer once they arrive. These are the owner's own figures. They come with a detail that explains more than the percentages do. The biggest rooms in the building are being refilled with things to do: a trampoline park, pickleball courts, mini golf and a sit-down bar. Shoppers had been driving elsewhere for these. Now the empty rooms hold them.
That pattern shows up in every large space that has reopened since the sale. It also makes the mall more useful for a Saturday afternoon in Port Arthur than it has been in years.
The Rooms That Sat Dark
Central Mall lost its anchors gradually. The Sears store had closed by 2019. In August 2020, the mall manager said there were no plans for the former store's interior, and its parking lot was in use as shuttle parking for refinery workers. Bed Bath & Beyond closed as well, and American Freight moved into that space in 2023.
The property changed hands twice in about 18 months. In February 2024, Port Arthur News reported that 4th Dimension Properties was the new owner. On July 18, 2025, local businessmen Joe Aref and Sultan Jasani said on social media that they had bought the mall. They promised major renovations and six new large anchor stores by the end of that year.
The work took longer than that promise. Two tenants were named the day of the sale announcement. Cici's Pizza would go into the former Jason's Deli space, and Altitude Trampoline Park would take the old Hobby Lobby space next to Crunch Fitness. The trampoline park opened almost a year later.
Old Hobby Lobby, New Pickleball Courts
Altitude Port Arthur was scheduled to open on Monday, June 29, 2026. It fills 40,000 square feet with four businesses under one roof: Altitude Trampoline Park, Crave Social Eatery, Pickle Pad and Birdie Party. Danny Jasani, named in that story as one of the mall's owners, said the group visited a Pickle Pad franchise and found nothing like it anywhere in the Golden Triangle.
Here is what's inside the old Hobby Lobby space:
- Pickle Pad: five pickleball courts with private bathrooms. Lockers and showers are planned.
- Altitude Trampoline Park: trampolines plus basketball, a ninja course, dodgeball and a zipline.
- Birdie Party: miniature golf.
- Soft play: an area built for toddlers and young children.
- Crave Social Eatery: a restaurant and bar serving churros, flatbreads, pizza and smoothies, next to an arcade.
- Party rooms: six of them, which can be expanded to hold up to 150 people.
You can buy a monthly pass and become a member. For anyone who plays pickleball, that matters more than the trampolines. A membership with indoor courts means a summer afternoon or a rainy weeknight no longer cancels a game. Faddi Aref of Faddi's Development Group said the center would employ 100 people.
On August 8, the mall held an official welcome for Altitude. The same day marked the first anniversary of the new ownership and the Back to School Bash. There was free pizza, a live DJ, face painting and balloon artists, clear backpacks were given away, and Great American Cookies baked a giant cookie for the occasion. General manager Cameron Vaughn described the setup to Port Arthur News: "We have things for adults, we have things for kids, we have things for everybody in the family to come have some fun."
Space by Space
Every major space reported vacant or turning over in recent coverage now has a new name attached:
| Former occupant | What's there now | Status as of early October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Hobby Lobby | Altitude Port Arthur | Open since late June 2026 |
| Jason's Deli | Cici's Pizza | Open |
| Bed Bath & Beyond | American Freight | Moved in during 2023 |
| Sears | Dunham's Sports | Announced September 2026, no opening date |
Two of the four replacements are food or recreation. Of the two retailers, one moved in before the current owners arrived and the other has not opened yet. The table backs up what Aref said about dwell time. A pizza buffet and a trampoline park keep a family in the building longer than a stop for towels.
The Smaller Storefronts Followed
Behind the big spaces, the hallways have filled in with small, often locally run businesses. Port Arthur News listed these openings since the 2025 purchase: Cici's Pizza, V&L Cuban Jewelry, Crunch Fitness, Finessed Beauty Bar, Lavish Balloon Co., Central Seafood House and Guasafoods Venezuelan Food. The same story said Five Below was planned. It has since opened, and the mall's directory and Five Below's store page posted hours for the week of September 28 through October 4.
The Blenderz Barbershop Lounge is also in the mall. Keiara Ochoa told KFDM that the extra activity helps a shop that depends on walk-ins: "It allows us to have more exposure. We also do walk-ins, so I feel like it is beneficial." Her point connects back to Altitude. A parent waiting out a two-hour party is a likely walk-in for a haircut down the hall. A pickleball player finishing a morning game may stay for Venezuelan food or seafood at Central Seafood House.
The building looks different too. New murals show Port Arthur and local high school sports. Shannon Perez, a Port Arthur resident, described the change to KFDM: "Growing up is very empty. Not as many stores. There's way more stores and more things to do here."
Sears Is the Last Big Gap
The largest empty space in the building has been dark since 2019. On September 16, 2026, Dunham's Sports was announced as the tenant for the 100,000-square-foot former Sears store. The chain has hundreds of stores and is best known in the northern U.S. and the Midwest. The Port Arthur store will be its first in Texas.
Neither announcement gave an opening date. Given the gap between Altitude's announcement in July 2025 and its opening in June 2026, the Sears space will likely stay under construction for a while. Aref also told KFDM that more large stores are coming and will be announced at the beginning of next year, which means early 2027.
A sporting goods store also fits the pattern. Pickle Pad brings people in to play, and Dunham's would sell them the gear to do it.
Saturdays on the Calendar Through December
Events have been part of the plan from the start. Since the sale, management has hosted a farmers and craft market, a community baby shower, the Treats and Eats Halloween event, Christmas caroling and the Otaku Food + Anime Festival.
The Mid-County Farmers & Crafters Market, run by Drunk N Crafty Entertainment, describes itself as an indoor market held twice a month. Event listings for October don't agree on the dates, so check with the organizer before you go. These dates for the rest of 2026 are listed:
- Saturday, November 14: Mid-County Farmers & Crafters Market, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Saturday, November 28, through Sunday, November 29: Mid-County Crafty Christmas Market, opening at 10 a.m. Saturday and running until 6 p.m. Sunday.
- Saturday, December 12: Mid-County Farmers & Crafters Market, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Christmas market falls on the weekend after Thanksgiving. That makes it an easy outing with out-of-town family, and you can add a round of mini golf or an hour of trampolines for the kids.
The mall hasn't confirmed its own seasonal events yet. The Treats & Eats page on its website still shows the 2025 event, held on October 31 from 6 to 8 p.m., and nothing has been announced for 2026. The holiday page says to check back in November. For now, the confirmed dates are the markets above and the regular hours at Altitude, Five Below and the restaurants inside.
At Lux Realty, our team works across Mid County every day, and we follow changes like the Sears space and Altitude because they shape daily life for the families we serve in Port Arthur. If you have questions about what's being built or announced near your part of town, contact us. We're glad to share what we know.