Photo courtesy of Half Price Books
The former Half Price Books location in Montrose, which closed in 2021.
This new store, located at 3509 Montrose Blvd., will be the largest Half Price Books location in the Houston area, according to the company’s public relations manager, Emily Bruce.
The company previously occupied a location along Westheimer Road, which closed in 2021. Skanska, a development company, plans to build a new high-rise apartment complex at the old Half Price Books location, according to chron.com. However, its construction has been long deferred as the plot has remained vacant since the store’s closing, the news outlet reported.
Currently, only six other Half Price Books locations in the Houston area remain open.
“When the landlord told us they were not gonna renew our lease, we started looking,” Half Price Books President Kathy Thomas said. “That was years ago. We’ve been trying to get back to that area of town cause it was a great market for us.”
The new location will occupy the 12,446-square-foot building at 3509 Montrose Blvd. The building was previously owned by Soundwaves, a longtime skate and music shop that closed earlier this year after operating since 1997. Thomas said that the company chose this building because of its long history and success in the Montrose area.
“The first time I went to the store in the Montrose area, it was an old church that was very, very small,” Thomas said.
Thomas said the company has seen an outpouring of support since its announcement, and one former store manager even posted about it on his Facebook account.
“We’ve been getting letters and emails for years saying, ‘When are you coming back?'” Thomas said.
The enthusiasm for this store has surpassed the community response that Thomas has seen for other locations.
“We bought a building in San Antonio, we bought it in Pittsburgh, and we bought different buildings across the country,” Thomas said. “No one has had such a positive outpouring of support as this Houston neighborhood.”
The building will be under construction for the next six to nine months. The new location is scheduled to open in early 2027.
“We want it to be a great shopping experience for our customers and will continue to offer a great place to work for our employees,” Thomas said.
Thomas said that the company has “roots in the community” and is confident in the store’s success.
“We want to stay there forever,” she said. “We believe [in] that Half Price Books concept and that the bookstores are alive and well and continue to prosper.”