Retail real estate rumors

Got these from reasonably reliable sources, though when one is dealing with real estate, sometimes a rumor is nothing more than a rumor.

The retail portion of the new Wachovia bank on Abrams at Belmont looks like it's going to have some sort of restaurant, perhaps even with outdoor seating. I have also been told that one of the restaurants interested in the site is the legendary Gold Rush, which would move from Skillman and Live Oak.

Don't fret, Casa Linda residents. If and when the Albertson's closes, there are apparently a host of supermarkets eager to replace it. One possibility is Tom Thumb, which doesn't have a store in that part of town. There are also rumblings that natural grocer Wild Oats, which was here in 1998 and failed, may come back to Dallas. In addition, Aldi, a European discount grocer, is reportedly eying the North Texas market.

And just when we thought all the fun was over: Whole Foods will have to go through a reasonably extensive zoning process when it moves to the old Minyard's. Turns out the grocery store site is part of the Lakewood planned development district, which requires Whole Foods to submit a plan about what it wants to do and how it wants to do it -- and allows room for community comment.

Comments

[Norman Alston]

If there are public hearings in the works for Whole Foods and they have not started yet, an end of the year opening is starting to look optimistic.

[Rick Wamre]

I just took my maiden voyage, post-Minyard, to the Albertson's today and saw all kinds of former Minyard-ites there; in fact, I saw more people who used to shop at Minyards in this one visit to Albertson's than I usually saw in my visits to Minyards. I suppose it could be that rather than bopping over to Minyard whenever I felt like it, I had been gathering up a list before making the trek to Albertson's, and maybe everyone else was doing the same thing.

[Michael Mosteller]

Jeff, not to sidetrack this but did any details ever come out from the meeting the new owners of Casa Linda Plaza had with the neighborhood? I was going to attend that night in January but just couldn't make it. I was curious what their plans were for bringing in new tenants. And has any progress been made on who is going to fill the Casa Linda Theater spot after the renovation by SC Companies?

[Jeff Siegel]

Re Casa Linda: We're doing a story on what's happening with development in East Dallas for later this spring, and Casa Linda is one the topics. I've got a couple of calls in to Steve Hefner at AmREIT, which bought the center. I have been told AmREIT is about to hire a big-name broker to lease the center, which is good news.

[patti haskins]

"If and when the Albertson's closes, there are apparently a host of supermarkets eager to replace it. One possibility is Tom Thumb, which doesn't have a store in that part of town." Tom Thumb used to have a store on Garland Road at Jupiter in the same shopping center as Home Depot, White Rock Marketplace. Why did they close that store? Why would they be interested in that part of town if they used to be in that part of town? They also closed the store on Buckner Blvd not far from I-30. We are left with nothing but Albertson's nearby. And they are not My Store!

[Jeff Siegel]

Patti, I long ago stopped trying to figure out why large corporations do what they do. It's yet another thing that makes my head hurt. I'm repeating what I was told, and I did note that sometimes rumors are just rumors. My experience with grocers, and especially with Tom Thumb parent Safeway, tells me that it is least likely to act in what the rest of us would consider a sensible manner. The company is notorious for going into markets, destroying its brand, and then scratching its corporate head like the hillbilly character on the Simpsons.

[Michael Mosteller]

Jeff, has there ever been talk of the HEB grocery chain making an entry into the DFW area? They are huge in Austin and San Antonio and as close as Waco. In my opinion, they would do wonderfully here. The only presence they currently have in our area is Central Market which has to be a winner for them.
Patti, the Tom Thumb on Garland and Jupiter was a huge loss for Safeway. I live two street away from it and primarily shopped there when it was open. The store was always empty. The Sack and Save across the street probably contributed to that but I think the Albertson's at Casa Linda was the biggest reason. Casa Linda is a better area with much higher income levels and access to more areas like Forest Hills. People would jump at that location if Albertson's left.

[Jeff Siegel]

Michael, HEB has said it is never, ever, ever coming to Dallas with its traditional grocery stores. They are privately-held and very close-mouthed, so they don't discuss much. But in their public pronouncements and in my discussions with employees (I write about the grocery store business in another life), that's always what they say. I agree with you -- it's a great chain. The HEB in Fredericksburg is wonderful, as good as any other chain's in Dallas. I think their hesitation is that this market is so competitive, led by Wal-Mart, that they don't see a way to make any inroads. And they do not throw money away.

[Jennifer Woods]

Can you provide any insight on the demolition work at Abrams & Lakewood/Richmond. They very quickly took down Mustang Auto, but Cafe Brazil and Lakewood Furniture are just sitting. Any ideas on what is going on? I thought both parts of the block were included in the new bank deal.

[Jeff Siegel]

Jennifer, that's actually going to be discussed in the April Advocate. Part of the deal with Wachovia was to use some of the existing buildings to make the bank look more Lakewood-like, and less like a branch in a suburban strip mall.