H-E-B and Weitzman held a groundbreaking ceremony on June 22 for the first phase of Manvel Town Center, which upon completion will be one of the largest open-area retail focused projects in history for Houston’s metro area.
With the first phase anchored by grocer H-E-B, Manvel Town Center is designed to incorporate more than 1 million square feet of retail, entertainment, hospitality, medical and office space. The project is located at the major intersection of SH-288 and SH-6 in the Houston suburban market of Manvel.
“Manvel Town Center’s groundbreaking represents the beginning of not only one of the largest retail-focused projects in Houston’s history, it will be the largest project ever for Weitzman in our 31-year history,” said Herb Weitzman, executive chairman and founder. “Alongside this world-class H-E-B, we envision a well-balanced collection of leading retail anchors, shops, restaurants, fitness, health, beauty and entertainment uses that will attract shoppers and visitors for decades to come. We look forward to serving Manvel and its surrounding communities with retail tenants to compliment the high caliber of H-E-B and create a shopping destination anchored by not only the best grocer in Texas but in the entire country.”
The groundbreaking ceremony represents the beginning of infrastructure improvements at the 273-acre site of the mixed-use development. The ceremony included remarks from key players, including Manvel Mayor Debra Davison and representatives from H-E-B and Weitzman.
Weitzman is managing the development of Manvel Town Center under the direction of Steve Chandler, city partner of Weitzman Houston; and JoBeth Prochaska, SVP of development and asset management for Weitzman Houston.
In addition to H-E-B, the Weitzman team is targeting a balanced retail tenant mix including strong presence for destination retails offering best-in-class offerings, along with retail, restaurant, fitness, home furnishings and other local, regional and national concepts.
The new H-E-B is designed to total more than 100,000 square feet of retail space and will include a fuel station and car wash. The first phase of Manvel Town Center is scheduled to come online in late summer of 2022.
Manvel Town Center, surrounded by vibrant housing growth, is positioned for visibility and access for the heavy vehicular traffic at the intersection of Highway 288 and Highway 6, offering extensive frontage along both thoroughfares at the major intersection.
Most importantly for visibility and access, Manvel Town Center benefits from the newly constructed toll road that will increase already strong residential growth by improving traffic flow and access from SH-288.
“Manvel Town Center will be the centerpiece of the commercial market and the community of Manvel, which is why Weitzman is putting extensive planning into the project,” Chandler said. “We’re especially pleased that H-E-B, recently ranked as the nation’s top grocery retailer, will be the lead retailer for our first phase.”
Retailers at Manvel also will benefit from the No. 1 retail location in the trade area. This trade area, which encompasses a fifteen-minute drive time reports average household incomes over $110,000 and close to 291,000 residents. Additionally, the daytime population within this trade area is approximately 242,735. Daytime population is an important consideration for retailers and restaurants, because it indicates steady traffic throughout the day.
Manvel Town Center represents the most recent project for H-E-B and Weitzman, which has a long history dating back decades with the grocer through projects in metro Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Dallas-Fort Worth with H-E-B and Central Market.
Like H-E-B, Weitzman works hard to tailor its projects and tenant mix through a reliance on market research, market knowledge and location-intelligence technology.
In the planning for the project, Weitzman has directed the development of a wastewater treatment plant, a water plant, detention facilities, feeder road modifications and the construction of Kirby Drive at one boundary of Manvel Town Center.
Manvel, which is experiencing notable residential growth and is on track to see its population boom over the next two decades, is the first major growth market past Pearland. The area currently reports nearly 182,000 residents within a seven-mile radius of Manvel Town Center, and the households in the radius report an average household income of $119,567.
Manvel Town Center further benefits from than 6,600 feet of frontage and direct access from Highway 288 following Weitzman’s construction of a feeder road modification and curb cut into the site.
I just hope they bring in a Lowe’s or a really nice big Ace Hardware. This area needs a good hardware store and garden center that residents don’t have to drive forever to get to.