Retail News: Sears sign on Shepherd in danger of demolition

The former Garden Oak Sears sign sits dormant, shortly before the building was demolished. The structure was originally a bus stop.

The sign from the former N Shepherd Sears is all that remains of a once-great retail site. The land on which the store sits is undergoing the first stages of redevelopment and is slated to become a mixed-use property. The sign, which initially served as a bus stop for the Sears store, spared the wrecking ball, much to the delight of preservationist neighbors, when the building finally came down last year. However, new development documents have brought to light plans to demolish the sign. A Reddit user noticed the updated site plan for 4000 N Shepherd referenced tearing down the sign while proposing a 132k sqft retail space for half of the property. The plans do not specify which store the property is being prepared for. However, we can make a few guesses using the site plan, which can also be found on HAIF. HEB and, by extension, Central Market have been rumored for years as being essentially next in line for the property. To support this theory, the building size aligns with an HEB, and a drive-up canopy is proposed for the parking lot. The store also has space for a proposed generator similar to the size of those used by HEB. While I believe Houston is overdue for a second Central Market, I doubt we’ll be getting one soon. As for HEB, it’s certainly within the realm of possibility. The closest location is 1.3 Miles away, even closer than Meyerland and Bellaire, about 1.5 miles apart. So what else could it be? Online theories have pointed to this potentially being a Target, with which the use of a “drive-up canopy” aligns better, as HEB has moved to Curbside and attached to the building. Also, the parking layout makes it seem like the building will have one central entrance. However, Target is still potentially involved in a store near the Heights HEB. At this point, the store to come is anyone’s guess. However, one thing is certain: the Sears sign is in danger.

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