COMMENT OF THE DAY: ALL EMPTIED OUT WITH NOTHING TO DO 
“Sooner or later all of this development will raise the question: what do you do with a grocery store once the grocery store has moved out? It’s a question that’s been grating on me for a while. The space that used to house Randall’s at the corner of Bissonnet and Fondren has been vacant for almost six years. It would be nice to get another grocery store in there — and maybe if we can redevelop and upgrade the apartments around there it’d be a viable option — but if not, what are the options? I mean, other than a charter school campus or a scary after hours nightclub? [ZAW, commenting on What Houston’s Grocer Growth Might Mean for Randall’s]
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Hopefully we’ll see some creative reuses in the coming years, since vacant big-box stores have been prevalent for 10+ years now. One recent great reuse was here in Texas (McAllen). The city repurposed a vacant WalMart into the new central library. Check it out at the link below:
http://www.mcallenlibrary.net/about/newmain.aspx
I remember going to see concerts at The Unicorn on the North side back in the day. It was previously a Kroger I believe.
Municipal and educational users seem to be the most frequent takers. I’ve also heard of call centers and indoor entertainment venues with golf carts and such.
Bingo parlor, and or kick boxing school. Heh..
The Skaggs Albertson at Louetta and Kuykendahl is now a DPS Drivers License Center. The old Klein’s grocery store in Tomball is being turned into a Veterans Health Center. The old Walmart on 249 just south of Spring Cypress was turned into a training center for a company. The old Randalls on Jones is now a Habitat ReStore.
Another good use is for a fitness center.
I’d actually like this former Randall’s to be another full line grocery store, but I’m sure that’s not going to happen in this neighborhood. We’ll probably get something more along the lines of an indoor flea market.
I had heard that the reason that nothing is in there yet was due to environmental remediation needed because of a former dry cleaners in the shopping center.
KC – I agree. It would be nice to get a full service grocer in there (realistically it would be more along the lines of an Aldi’s than a Randall’s or a Kroger, IMO – just being honest here). The dry cleaner remediation could actually be a blessing in disguise, since it has prevented after hours nightclub developers from taking an interest in the location. We already have too many game rooms and fly-by-night clubs in the area.
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If we can’t get a grocer, I think it’d be cool to have a farmer’s market. We’d have to find a way to get the flower, fruit, and other vendors who put up tents up and down Bissonnet and Fondren to move into that location.
I am involved in the Lease for the old Randall’s. It will be a traditional retailer. Unfortunately not a grocer but a great use for the community. We tried everything to get a grocer but couldn’t and this Landlord will not Lease to a nightclub or flea market. Lease should be signed 3/14, look for “coming soon” banner soon after and opening of business late Summer 2014.