HEB is planning to bring its low-cost banner to the Southeast side, with a new store planned for Edgebrook Plaza. This new supermarket will return grocery shopping to the shopping center for the first time in nearly 40 years. The plaza was originally developed in 1974 for Safeway, to compete with an existing Weingarten’s across Edgebrook Drive. In 1984, Safeway would purchase the Weingarten’s location across the street as part of a package deal. They would move their operations into the old Weingarten’s, where they would remain through the spin-off from Safeway to AppleTree. In 1992, AppleTree would quietly sell its location to Fiesta, as part of a “fire sale” to help it emerge from bankruptcy. As for the old Safeway in 1989, after a couple of years vacant, the space in Edgebrook Plaza was leased by Office Depot as part of its initial push into Houston. The Office Depot location was actually store #12 in the chain. In late 2024, the store held a going-out-of-business sale, and the building has remained vacant since. HEB plans to raze part of the old shopping center and construct a new building. According to various comments on social media, the Joe V’s going here may have been the grocery anchor hinted at for the redevelopment of Macy’s at Almeda Mall. Given that HEB is working with the developer of that project, Read King, on another new Joe V’s in City Park at W. Orem and 288, this claim isn’t unreasonable. Other grocers in the area include Sellers Bros and El Rancho further down Edgebrook.
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