For nearly a decade, Texas’ favorite grocer has held onto a vacant lot in a rapidly growing section of San Antonio’s Southside. As a sprawling subdivision emerges, butting up against older Southside homes, signs of activity on the now-cleared plot have sparked hope that H-E-B is expanding its footprint in what has been deemed a food desert.
As urban sprawl continues to push density and development beyond downtown’s edges, the Southside of San Antonio has seen massive investment. Major companies are investing heavily in building industrial plants, and developers are erecting hundreds of suburban neighborhoods.
But tucked between two shopping centers at the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and Southeast Loop 410, a rocky, tree-laden lot has sat suspiciously untouched. H-E-B snatched up 24 acres at the site of a burgeoning commercial area back in 2017. A pawn shop, fast-food chains and other stores have moved in over the past 10 years. But H-E-B’s slice of real estate hasn’t seen much progress until now.
A local who has been keeping a close watch told MySA that surveying stakes have emerged on the property in recent weeks, sparking hope that a new grocery store will soon follow. On a visit to the site, wooden stakes with pink ribbon dancing in the wind are planted across sections of the property that aren’t overtaken by shrubs and trees.
And the property seems to have been partially cleared, with level ground and rocky soil at the front of the property facing the retail sites. But very little else is known about any plans that may or may not have been developed by the Texas company.
MySA reached out to H-E-B for comment for this story. The company told MySA: “We don’t have any plans for a store there but will look into it. Will let you know if there’s something to share.”
However, the company recently commented on whether there were plans to build a new store on the Southside to meet the growing population’s demand and ease the pain of a food desert south of Loop 410. The company said: “At H-E-B we are continuously looking for new site locations to best serve our communities. While we do own land in this area, we currently (do not) have plans to share at this time.”
A new store at this spot wouldn’t solve every woe expressed by Far Southside residents, many of whom said they must rely on dollar stores to supplement biweekly trips to H-E-Bs or Walmarts, both of which are upwards of 30 minutes away. However, it could lessen the burden for many as the Southside faces a residential, commercial and industrial boom.