H-E-B acquired the 10-acre property at the southeast corner of Hillcrest Road and 635 for a large H-E-B store.  It would replace a row of older office buildings on LBJ.  

The store will be the size of a Walmart at about 127,000 square feet.  The Tom Thumb at Preston Forest is about 50,000 square feet, so H-E-B will be 2-1/2 times larger.  They expect around 6,000 shoppers a day, and because each shopper passes through the Hillcrest/635 intersection twice (coming and going), that will add 12,000 vehicles a day to the intersectin.  The building will be on the west end of the property and the customer entrance will face east.

Concerns expressed by nearby residents included: 

​

• Massive traffic.  It will attract shoppers from miles away.  Those who live closest will be impacted the most.

• Out of character with its surroundings.  It would set a precedent.  There is no other retail on Hillcrest Road for several miles.

• Out of scale with its surroundings.  It will be the size of a Costco or Walmart.

• The truck loading docks will be on Hillcrest Road, at the entrance to our neighborhood.

 

H-E-B has applied for "Regional Retail" zoning, which is for heavy retail uses that draw from an extended area.  The City Council will hear the zoning case on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.

​

Unless something changes, the Hillrest Forest Neighborhood Association board plans to oppose the re-zoning for this enormous retail use at our doorstep.