In 1960, the NorthPark Mall, made up of more than fifty stores was built on Dyer Street. The outdoor mall opened on May 1, 1960 and was designed by the firm Nesmith and Lane and built by J.E. Morgan and Son and Karam Construction Company. It cost around $800,000 to build and was an alternative to shopping in downtown El Paso. It was also the largest shopping area in El Paso at the time. During the 1960s, the mall was the "Northeast area's heartbeat," according to the "El Paso Times". By the late 70s and early 80s, Northgate faced competition from other malls and in the 1990s, it slowly died with store after store becoming boarded up. The city purchased the property for $6 million. After years of neglect, the mall was demolished in 2011. Other major shopping areas include Sunrise Center and Rushfair.