Upscale grocer Market Street plans to break ground by this summer on their long-awaited store in Flower Mound.
Residents of the Forums subdivision, whose homes border the project at Euclid Avenue and FM 2499, got a sneak peak at the store’s plans during a meeting with the developer at the Flower Mound Library on Monday night.
Eric Seitz with the Seitz Group fielded questions from concerned residents about lighting, truck delivery times, traffic flow, trash, and drainage run-off during the meeting set up by the Forums Homeowner’s Association.
Seitz said that the two big changes from the original plans are the size and orientation of the grocery store.
Earlier concept plans show the store facing away from FM 2499. The new plan turns the store around towards the busy thoroughfare, taking advantage of 31,000 vehicles per day that pass by.
The store will be 55,716 square feet, which is a bit smaller than a typical Market Street that clocks in around 70,000 square feet.
“We had to make it fit to save trees,” said Seitz. “Our goal is to save all of the post oaks, all the specimen trees.”
Seitz said the store will not have a pharmacy or fresh sushi bar, but will otherwise be similar to a typical Market Street with specialty items, health and gourmet products, pre-prepared foods and a large wine and beer selection.
Plans also call for a neighborhood park behind the store and a food court with an outdoor component that will tie into the shops planned next door to the grocery.
Three separate retail/restaurant buildings of 14,000, 11,000 and 10,000 square feet will join Market Street in the development. One building will sit next to the grocery store and the other two will be located southeast of the store, fronting FM 1171.
“We’re talking to Trufire Kitchen and Bar, a high-end nail salon, and a sushi restaurant as possible tenants,” said Seitz.
Plans call for a new traffic signal at the intersection of FM 1171 and Forums Drive, but Seitz said TxDOT denied approval for a signal at FM 2499 and Euclid at this time.
Seitz said that he will file a formal application for the retail development with town officials in March.
“We are going in for administrative approval on a revised concept plan and are not changing anything that was originally approved,” said Seitz.
“I would say the goal is to try to get approval from the town council by the end of May or first of June. Within a week of getting full approval, we will be turning dirt and open within 10 months.”
The grocery store and shops are the first phase of the development, which may eventually include medical office buildings across the flood plain behind the store along Forums Drive.
Seitz said he believes that high end townhomes would work better there but the River Walk master plan calls for medical offices.
“I’d rather put really nice townhomes there to take advantage of the park and create that sort of urban lifestyle that people tell you you’re supposed to have.”
Lubbock-based Market Street originally wanted to build a store at that location five years ago, but environmental concerns from town leaders stalled the project.
“So many things have shaped this deal over the years. We have the River Walk planned development, where people promised and over-promised. They did not explain some of the limiting factors downstream,” said Seitz.
Forums residents in attendance appeared to support the project and seemed satisfied with the answers they received.
“It’s going to be a great store,” Seitz added.
