HEB reopened its Central Market Preston Royal supermarket near North Dallas on Wednesday, which was closed for rebuilding and restoration for 20 months after being destroyed by a tornado.
The approximately 35,000 square meter Central Market in the Preston Oaks shopping center was badly damaged by tornadoes on October 20, 2019. The storms devastated the landscape of 15 miles north of Dallas, including 10 Dallas ISD schools, three of which were destroyed and unable to reopen on their original campus.
HEB said it tweaked the floor plan when rebuilding Preston Royal Central Market to incorporate new functionality inside and outside the store. The most important changes include the additional pick-up service at the roadside with now 10 parking spaces along the south side of the store at the “Curbside” sign and an expanded café area with additional seating on the renovated mezzanine.
“Our Central Market partners and the entire Preston Royal community have grown stronger during this period of rebuilding and recovery,” Stephen Butt, president of HE-B’s Central Market Division, said in a statement. “While this has been a major collaborative effort, I am particularly proud of our Preston Royal partners who have done everything they can to continue serving this neighborhood. The silver lining here is that our Preston Royal store is stronger and better and we are ready to welcome our loyal customers back to provide them with the service and shopping experience they deserve. ”
Other new functions of the remodeled Central Market include self-checkout registers; larger departments for produce, seafood and flowers; expanded food, cheese and wine selection; a larger sandwich bar; and an improved coffee bar experience, said HEB.
A priority in the rebuilding was to preserve the mid-century architecture of the store, such as the huge arched windows and curved roof facade that originally existed for the building, noted HEB. The San Antonio-based grocer said its architects upgraded the mezzanine floor to showcase the beams, windows, and first-floor views. In addition, there were more energy-efficient fittings and devices. HEB also installed a four-part painting by the artist Cindy Holt, which depicts the surrounding neighborhoods.
The cleanup and restoration work on Central Market Preston Royal began immediately after the storm, according to HEB. Although most of the surrounding buildings had to be razed due to structural damage, reconstruction will continue while the neighborhood mall awaits its rebirth, the grocer said. Many of the approximately 130 Central Market employees returned to the reopened store. After the storm, all employees were given the opportunity to move to a different Central Market while the Preston Royal site was being rebuilt.
“The effort to rebuild what was lost has been a real partnership with our retail and community stakeholders,” commented Patrick Krejs, general manager of Regency Centers, developer of Preston Oaks shopping mall. “Our teams have worked tirelessly together to bring Preston Oaks back to life and to do so safely during a pandemic. I am proud of the progress made and am pleased that the Central Market is reopening its doors to the community. “
HEB has also focused on helping the community recover. As part of the store reopening on June 30, Central Market donated $ 20,000 to Preston Hollow Elementary School and $ 20,000 to St. Mark’s School of Texas, which is adjacent to the store.
HEB
Located in the Preston Oaks shopping mall, Central Market suffered severe damage from tornadoes that devastated a 15-mile stretch in north Dallas in October 2019.
To mark the one year anniversary of the tornado last October, HEB / Central Market made a $ 1 million donation to the Dallas Education Foundation to help the Dallas ISD rebuild and donated 50 new trees through the RETREET organization Neighborhood. Also in the aftermath of the October storm, Central Market donated $ 50,000 to the Dallas Education Foundation to rebuild the libraries in the three storm-damaged schools.
“I’m very excited about the Preston Royal Central Market location, my Central Market, which is reopening and anchoring this mall in the heart of Preston Oaks,” said Jennifer S. Gates, former Dallas councilor. “I remember the damage the tornado did to our neighborhood when I toured the area the day after the storm. The reopening is another sign of recovery, and investing wisely in our children at Preston Hollow Elementary and St. Marks of Texas means so much after more than a year of zooming and hybrid training. ”
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