Longest-standing Austin H-E-B to be demolished, revamped into megastore

H-E-B's South Congress location, its longest-running store in Austin, will be demolished and reconstructed into a three-story megastore starting in February 2022, according to a report released by the Texas grocery chain on Thursday.

The current store has been standing for 60 years and will be wiped out in February 2022 to make way for a new three-story building, complete with two levels for shopping and dining and one with over 600 above-ground parking spaces.

Originally a 25,000 square-foot store opened in 1957, the new store will dwarf its original structure at over 145,000 square feet. The revamp was first planned to start in March 2020 and include underground parking, a beer garden, a food hall and live music stage but was halted due to the pandemic.

Though not coming with all of those original trappings, the new store will still plan on being a one-stop-shop complete with affordable shopping, top-rated barbecue and a stage fit for the live music capital. The location plans to include an in-house True Texas BBQ restaurant, which was named best barbecue chain in Texas by Texas Monthly, complete with indoor and outdoor seating and an outdoor stage.

Expect all the usual fixins at the beloved chain's new store as well, including curbside and home delivery services, a bakery (complete with their signature handmade tortillas), pharmacy, flower bar and Meal Simple selection complete with meals and a sushi bar made in-store. The prime location will also come with some added perks, including an expanded beer and wine selection, live demonstrations and samplings through Cooking Connection and environmental upgrades including solar panels and abundant natural lighting.

And honoring its location in the middle of music- and art-loving South Congress, the location will include local art that showcases what makes Austin, Austin.

Worried about shopping in the meantime? Though the full project is expected to take around two years, a temporary store will pick up the slack at the nearby Twin Oaks Shopping Center starting around a week before construction starts. It'll include home delivery and Pharmacy services but won't have curbside options, which are available at the nearby Riverside location.