This one at Fountain View and Westheimer, H-E-B regional president Scott McClelland tells Swamplot, will be vacated for a brand-new one to be built less than a mile north on Fountain View and San Felipe. Fidelis owns the 17-acre property there, says McClelland, and approached H-E-B to lease part of it. It’s occupied now by Tanglewood Court apartments. (Calls to Fidelis and Tanglewood Court about the apartments haven’t been returned.) What will happen to the current store? McClelland’s not sure, but he guesses it’ll be sold to a non-grocery retailer. Meanwhile, the new store’s already being designed. Expected to open in Fall 2014, it will be a “next generation format” like the Montrose Market on Dunlavy and West Alabama.
Photo: City-Data
Wow. A great opportunity to rebuild in nearly the same location without closing handed to HEB. Let’s see how well they do this new store. Will it be just like the Montrose store, or will they give it it’s own exterior styling? Will they do anything to encourage pedestrian activity? After all, each person that walks or bikes instead of drives opens up one more parking space for someone else.
Good riddance. That HEB sucked. And if the Landlord doesn’t quickly backfill, that lot will become the ultimate bum playgrund. Westheimer & Fountain View must have no fewer than 15 beggars on it at all times.
Used to shop there and at the Randall’s on Voss -2004/2008(I lived off Memorial @ Briar Forest Dr.).
I remember that location as the first HEB I ever went to. It was when I first moved to Houston and lived near Westheimer and the beltway (I didn’t know better :). I was at Starlight Karaoke across the street, and ran over to HEB to get a few beverages :)
I’m told that as part of the deal to build the New HEB Fidelis had to “take” the current store with the caveat they could not backfill it with another Grocery Store.
I remember that as the first HEB I ever went to. I was on my house-hunting trip and staying with a friend who lived up the street. Late that night, we ran out of supplies and made a run to the grocery store.
That was the first time I realized, to great dissapointment at the time, grocery stores in Texas don’t sell liquor.
Jeff: hehe, took me a while to come to grips with that. I kept assuming it was just the particular store I was in. Plus, there are no “liquor stores” all over like other places. Weird.
Cody, I remember when I first moved to Houston several decades ago, I ran into a Randall’s to pick up some beer. After walking all around and not finding any beer, I asked a clerk where the beer was. His response: “at the Kroger down the street”. Priceless!
HEB if you’re listening, please do this to the HEB at 18th and TC Jester! That HEB pantry is dying to be fixed up into a “next generation format”. Or if there’s not enough space in the current lot, how about where Restaurant Depot is? Lots of folks around who would shop it: Timbergrove, Lazybrook, Shepherd Forest, Oak Forest, Garden Oaks, Heights, etc.
I think they are doing this to relieve some pressure from Central Market. The old store will attract a good retailer / user most likely one without a Houston presence. Love Spotlight, good memories from there and Cardis Club back in the 70s-80s.
What about Oak Forest? HEB You keep overlooking us!
Am I the only one who freaking hates their so called “next generation format”??? If they mean the new store will be like the store at 3815 Westheimer – it’s a freaking rat maze in there. The rows aren’t parallel.
To those asking for a big new HEB in Oak Forest/Shady Acres/Timbergrove, maybe it is possible that HEB’s location team, along with other retailers, are relying on outdated demographic data for that area. Remember, all the new building going on there has mostly occurred in the last 5 years, and so reliance on census or private research that is older than 3 years is likely not show higher incomes in that area.