It's been exactly a year since the folks over at HEB corporate headquarters decided that given the historical building restrictions on their plans to expand the store in downtown Brownsville wasn't worth the headaches and pulled up stakes.
Since then, the promised grocery store replacement has not happened and the store – a business anchor if there ever was one – remains boarded up.
For a while, H-E-B provided transportation to "partners" and customers that were used to the downtown store.![]()
Newly-arrived Brownsville City Manager Noel Bernal was asked then about the about the closure and how it would affect business in that area.
“We have over $55 million in investment over the last five years and we will continue to focus on downtown because for the city, it will remain a priority,” said Bernal, who adds the city is already looking to add another grocery store in that same location.
Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez, who said the closure was disappointing, tried to play down the departure of the store.
“That H-E-B served almost entirely citizens in that area. A lot of them on foot. I don’t see how it will affect business at all, but will drastically affect these low income and economically depressed citizens,” said Mendez.
For a while, H-E-B provided transportation to "partners" and customers that were used to the downtown store.
Newly-arrived Brownsville City Manager Noel Bernal was asked then about the about the closure and how it would affect business in that area.
“We have over $55 million in investment over the last five years and we will continue to focus on downtown because for the city, it will remain a priority,” said Bernal, who adds the city is already looking to add another grocery store in that same location.
Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez, who said the closure was disappointing, tried to play down the departure of the store.
“That H-E-B served almost entirely citizens in that area. A lot of them on foot. I don’t see how it will affect business at all, but will drastically affect these low income and economically depressed citizens,” said Mendez.
Up to now there is no sign of the promised store, and like Mendez, downtown residents and customers from Matamoros remain "disappointed," especially with the inaction of the city to replace it with another one.