One of Uptown’s longest-discussed retail projects has taken another meaningful step forward: the planned Central Market at McKinney and Lemmon avenues cleared a key City Plan Commission approval in 2026.
The proposed store would occupy the former Albertsons site near West Village, bringing H-E-B’s specialty-grocery concept to a corner that has been the subject of plans and neighborhood debate for years. Recent reporting describes a store of roughly 60,000 square feet, although the final design and construction schedule remain subject to city approvals, permitting and the developer’s timeline.
Why this corner matters
McKinney and Lemmon is not an ordinary suburban grocery location. It sits where Uptown’s apartments, older Oak Lawn fabric, restaurants, offices and transit routes meet. A grocery store here would serve residents who already organize daily life around walkable errands, the M-Line trolley and short trips between Uptown, Turtle Creek and Oak Lawn.
Central Market would also add a different kind of destination. The brand is known for expansive produce, bakery, prepared-food, cheese, meat, seafood and specialty departments. For nearby residents, that could mean a full grocery trip without leaving the urban core. For neighborhood restaurants and small food businesses, it would also introduce a major new competitor for prepared meals and specialty ingredients.
The design debate is part of the story
Enthusiasm for the store has been accompanied by questions about the form of the development. Earlier visions for the property contemplated a denser mixed-use project. The more recent stand-alone-store approach has prompted some residents to ask whether such a prominent, transit-adjacent site should include housing, offices or additional street-facing uses.
That is a legitimate urban-planning conversation. A long-empty or underused site is not improved simply because a popular tenant arrives; the way a building meets the sidewalk, handles parking, manages deliveries and contributes to the street matters.
At the same time, a major grocery store can be a powerful neighborhood amenity. The practical question is not whether Uptown residents want Central Market. Many clearly do. It is whether the final project can deliver the store while respecting the walkable character and long-term potential of the site.
What neighbors should watch next
- Final City Council and permitting actions
- The confirmed construction and opening timeline
- Pedestrian entrances on McKinney and Lemmon
- Parking access, delivery routes and traffic management
- Landscaping, shade and the treatment of the street edge
- Any changes to the size or mix of the project
The approval is progress, but it is not the same as an opening announcement. Until H-E-B publishes a construction schedule and store page, dates should be treated as preliminary.
For Uptown and Oak Lawn, the larger significance is clear: after years of anticipation, the Central Market plan is moving again. The next phase will determine whether the project becomes only a very good grocery store—or a very good piece of the neighborhood.
Sources: The Dallas Morning News and City of Dallas public meeting records. Project details may change as approvals and permitting continue.
