Rosenberg Center's Future?

[ChannelTwoNews]

From a recent edition of bisnow.

 

A private investor purchased Rosenberg Center, a 113k SF shopping center at 5101 US Hwy 90. The property was built in 1986 and serves as a main commercial corridor between Rosenberg and Richmond. Transwestern's Andy Besing repped the buyer, who was in the market for an asset with a value-add component and liked its location in Fort Bend and lease-up potential.

 

 

Thought it might be interesting to follow this particular center's developments as it is one that I remember frequenting growing up. The anchor (pictured) was a Randall's that later became a Kroger Signature store years later. It also was home to a Cinemark theater called, naturally, Cinema 8.

 

The tide slowly started to turn against this location maybe about 10 years ago or so, when the first phases of Brazos Town Center were being planned. Several major, longtime tenants (Kroger, Cinemark, Famous Footwear) eventually moved out to that center when spaces were available. Randall's moved to Pecan Grove several years prior, allowing the Kroger to take it's space, with relatively few changes. The only substantial pad site, a Luby's (formerly a Wyatt's) closed a few years ago, and was one of the last to vacate. Other pad sites nearby like Burger King & Cici's are still open and the center does retain a few tenants, but nothing like before.

 

To me it was always the "nice" shopping center in the city. Rose-Rich (directly across Avenue H) was somewhat more lower-end. Lamar Plaza, down Avenue H seemed to be middle of the road.

 

As I said before, I think it might be worth watching. It's the newest full-sized shopping center of that bunch in town. Avenue H. (the traditional East-West retail corridor) has been struggling to a point since Brazos Town Center came in, though interestingly enough the Downtown area has not.

Edited November 26, 2013 by ChannelTwoNews

[IronTiger]

What about the old Super Kmart? A Loopnet listing puts it as "Rosenberg Gateway", but I don't know if it got any replacement tenants (or a new name, for that matter)

[ChannelTwoNews]

What about the old Super Kmart? A Loopnet listing puts it as "Rosenberg Gateway", but I don't know if it got any replacement tenants (or a new name, for that matter)

 

http://www.houstonarchitecture.com/haif/topic/13797-rosenbergs-old-super-k-mart-sold/

[ChannelTwoNews]

Based on my last visit, the story on this shopping center is likely to continue in a positive direction. The old Cinemark Cinema 8 has been converted to a Planet Fitness which, by far, has the most activity of any site in the center. Haven't seen that many cars in front of that space since it was a movie theater, and that's been at least 10 years (not really counting the time as Star Cinema Grill - that was a dud if ever there was one). The largest space, the one where the Randalls and later, Kroger was, is undergoing renovation. No coming soon signs to be seen, however there was a fair amount of work going on. The entire center has been repainted.

 

The best news (IMHO) is just past that is a cluster of shops that have been in the center for 20-25 years. All of them are still in business based on what I could see and still manage to fill their respective spaces in the parking lot.

 

Interestingly enough, the Rose-Rich shopping center across the street is also undergoing renovations at this time. Not sure which one came first, but I'd say they need it more than this one. Their sole anchor tenant, Palais Royal, closed in the past couple of years and all of those resources were sent to the store in Brazos Town Center.

[LarryDierker]

Based on my last visit, the story on this shopping center is likely to continue in a positive direction. The old Cinemark Cinema 8 has been converted to a Planet Fitness which, by far, has the most activity of any site in the center. Haven't seen that many cars in front of that space since it was a movie theater, and that's been at least 10 years (not really counting the time as Star Cinema Grill - that was a dud if ever there was one). The largest space, the one where the Randalls and later, Kroger was, is undergoing renovation. No coming soon signs to be seen, however there was a fair amount of work going on. The entire center has been repainted.

 

The best news (IMHO) is just past that is a cluster of shops that have been in the center for 20-25 years. All of them are still in business based on what I could see and still manage to fill their respective spaces in the parking lot.

 

Interestingly enough, the Rose-Rich shopping center across the street is also undergoing renovations at this time. Not sure which one came first, but I'd say they need it more than this one. Their sole anchor tenant, Palais Royal, closed in the past couple of years and all of those resources were sent to the store in Brazos Town Center.

 

It's the free pizza and bagels.

[ChannelTwoNews]

Does anyone know what may have happened with the main anchor space (the former Randalls / Kroger location)? They had been doing a fair amount of work inside over the past year to convert it into what appeared to be another grocery store but with a spanish-language bent. It appeared to be pretty colorful inside with what I would describe as a "mercado" theme - each department along the walls was laid out as a small storefront of sorts. Hadn't seen any activity on my last visit a month ago and the windows were covered once again.

[ChannelTwoNews]

Said grocery space is still available

https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/5101-Avenue-H-Rosenberg-TX/25983386/

[SpaceGhost]

The story as I understand it is as follows:

The owner of a small chain of Mexican grocery stores named Mi Rancho sells his company to La Michoacana in the late 2000s during one of their expansions. He signs a non-compete clause about operating in the Houston market, and then purchases a few existing grocery stores in the Fort Worth area, even expanding into Oklahoma. After a year or two, this guy made a deal on four ex-Kroger locations, with plans to reopen them as Bravo Ranch. Rosenberg was one of the stores, along with ones in Pasadena, Channelview, and one in Houston. He gets the Houston and Pasadena locations up and running, and is working on converting the rest into Bravo Ranch, which were pretty intricately themed. La Michoacana quickly notices, files a lawsuit and stops all progress right as the Pasadena store was opening. This is where it gets weirder.

The Pasadena location, and Rosenberg are spun off into another company named El Mercado. Pasadena manages to reopen under the new name, however work stopped on Rosenberg at this point. As part of the lawsuit, this guy has to sell his stores, and chooses Fiesta for these former Kroger locations, with the others dumped to various locals. So Fiesta buys the 4 Kroger properties. Houston and Pasadena are open, Rosenberg is about 60% complete and Channelview is still untouched. Fiesta full of money from the investment firm that purchased them, comes in ready to work, and starts by converting Houston, and painting the exteriors to match then current Fiesta coloring. However, right around this time, Fiesta is sold to their current owners (Chedraui) who expressed no desire to convert these stores, and basically has sat on them until the leases have come up. The flipped Fiesta was kept, but Pasadena was sold off to another independent. This store came close enough to fruition that a Fiesta Beverage Mart was actually planned to take up the far right which is why the glass and separate entrance was added.

Some photos and extra details: https://houstonhistoricretail.com/2021/02/10/when-fiesta-failed-to-rebrand/

[Pleak]

This center is pretty desolate..      About the only thing that is still there from when the Kroger was there is the Burger King.   Everything is pretty much turned over numerous times or empty.

McCoy's next door should expand - they are always busy and it seems like they could pick up some space for cheap.

It doesn't help matters that Highway 90 has been under semi-permanent construction right there at the light for years.    Without any actual construction happening once the traffic diversion went up.     I think it might be related to a plan to get rid of the underpass at the tracks by the rice mill like they did with Highway 36 at the other end of town.   But no activity is happening - just the bad traffic patterns.