Here is a quick update to the Palms Center area in the Southern part of Houston near I-610 and M.L.K Blvd. Things have really changed in this area with the addition of the rail line and road improvements.
The vintage Montgomery Ward/King's Market has been torn down and replaced by this townhome complex. Here is what the site looked like in 2013, sorry for the crummy picture quality, my photo quality has gotten much better over the years, click here.
All I can say is wow, you would never have guessed that this is the lot of a former Montgomery Ward store. There is nothing left. This is a very good replacement for an aging property that was struggling.
More views of the development.
Not much has changed at the shopping center portion of the Palms Center, click here to see what this property looked like in 2013. The buildings look great, and businesses fill up just about every space.
The former JCPenney anchor.
The corridor leading to the former JCPenney entrance.
Looking from the edge of the center to the JCPenney side of the center.
More to come, stay tuned.
Wow, what a difference a decade makes, thanks for the update and the great photos. Nothing against the King's Best Market, but as neat as that old Montgomery Ward building was, this new housing development seems like a much better use for that land. If nothing else, it has certainly turned around the urban blight problem that this area had about a decade ago. I remember us talking about the Palms Center about a decade ago and I think you were able to visit the old Montgomery Ward afterward. It was a good thing you visited it when you did because I don't think the King's Best Market stayed open for too much longer after that.
ReplyDeleteIn many ways, the Palms Center is fairing much better than many of the indoor malls that initially replaced Palms Center as a retail hub. It's nice to see that it's not just staying alive, but it seems to be doing better than it has in a long time even if many of the tenants are more of community services than retail.
I remember when I first saw with my own eyes that a housing development came up where the old Kmart was on Long Point Road in Spring Branch. That was quite surprising to see that where the Kmart once stood, but this is actually an even better revitalization from what I can see.
There is absolutely no trace of the old businesses that used to be at that corner. I drove around the lot, and it has all been scrapped. I passed by the nearby Fiesta to capture the neon sign off of I-610 and decided to pass by and do this quick update. Just about all of the second floor of the King's Market was empty on my visit, so it only got worse. The first floor had large pockets of unused space, but there were some businesses including a used video game store.
DeleteThe Palms Center looks even stronger now than it did on my last visit. The JCPenney space was unused and now it is part of a medical office. There is also an events center that I don't think was in business last time I went there. There is a Subway that I think was there on my previous visit, but I can't remember for sure.
The JCPenney at the old Town and Country Mall was also replaced by townhomes. It is hard to believe until you see the property. Some apartments in Kingwood that I once lived at are now a huge shopping center with HEB as an anchor.
I looked up the area you mentioned on Long Point. It looks like they sandwiched those homes right into the parking lot of that old shopping center. I guess the Kmart was the main center point of this shopping center.
This is comment #6,000 on the blog and this is a great post to reflect on the changes retail establishments undergo over the years. The older we get, the more things change.