No one wants to discuss what is happening with the vacant Albertson’s at Lemmon and McKinney in Uptown after years of excitement about a massive mixed-use project anchored by a Central Market.
The property remains vacant at one of the busiest corners of Uptown, with its high fence and deteriorating parking lot begging for development. After a much-hyped announcement about a residential tower near the upscale grocer, it appears most likely that the property’s future will be a Central Market built on the existing footprint of the old Albertson’s grocery store.
Two years ago, the ambitious proposal made headlines. The Dallas Business Journal reported in February 2022 that developer KDC would break ground that April on the $295 million project, which, according to a filing with the state of Texas, was supposed to include 1.7 million square feet of total space with three stories of office and another 23 levels of multifamily. Five stories of multifamily was also in the plans for an adjacent mid-rise building. The anchor tenant was a Central Market and included a four-story underground parking garage.
Now two years later, there has been no movement on a project that was supposed to be finished in 2025. First announced by developer KDC in 2018, the original plans included an office tower and hotel. Next, it was set to be part of Central Market parent company HEB’s expansion into North Texas. HEB has opened several stores in North Texas suburbs, and still has plans for a Central Market in Oak Cliff near the Bishop Arts District. The company is also building several of HEB’s discount locations, Joe V’s Smart Shop.