By Devyani Chhetri
Dallas Morning News
Reprinted – by Texas Metro News
The City Council awarded the project $5.8 million in subsidies last year
A planned Tom Thumb supermarket set to receive $5.8 million in city tax incentives will no longer open in the RedBird mall area, according to a city memo dated Dec. 13.
The store was originally slated to open next year and was envisioned as a welcome resource for residents who have long been yearning to see quality grocery stores in the area.
Assistant City Manager Robin Bentley said Albertsons Companies Inc., the parent company that owns the supermarket chain, notified the city on Dec. 5 it had “decided to terminate its economic development incentive agreement with the City and will no longer develop the Tom Thumb grocery store within the Shops at RedBird.”
A spokesperson for Albertsons said the company made the decision not to move forward “after discussions with the City of Dallas and a thorough economic evaluation.”
“Albertsons Cos. has committed to providing no-fee delivery to the zip codes in closest proximity to this location through nearby Tom Thumb locations and is in active discussions with stakeholders and community leaders on other ways we can support the community,” Christy Lara, the spokesperson in an email to The Dallas Morning News Saturday morning.
Peter Brodsky, the developer of RedBird mall, told The News he did not know why the company canceled its plans, expressing his disappointment. Brodsky’s team had been working with the grocer since the City Council awarded the project $5.8 million in subsidies.
“We had gotten through the design process — fully designed building, fully designed site plan, had already received a permit — and it was sort of the last possible moment they let us know that they that they were going to pull out,” he said.
Brodsky said the company’s lease gave it the right to do due diligence throughout the design process.
“You got to ask them their exact reasons, but I can only assume that they didn’t have confidence that the store will be successful in the market, even with the city subsidies,” he said.
Last year in April, the council approved a combination of property tax abatements and sales tax grants for a 50,000–square-foot supermarket that would bring in a minimum of 90jobs. As part of the deal, RedBird was supposed to spend at least $12 million on the building and site work, and Tom Thumb would make at least $5 million on improvements for fixtures and to finish out the building.
“It’s very, very disappointing for RedBird. It’s very disappointing for the community,” Brodsky said. “The community wants a high-quality grocery store nearby, and so we are going to regroup and start talking to other grocery stores and try to help those grocery stores understand that this is a viable market.”
In the memo, Bentley staff would continue to pursue full-service grocers to serve the southern Dallas communities aggressively.
| This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas. |
