I cannot get past the pay wall but apparently it appears someone is trying to get a grocery store in the building that was originally an HEB on 18th and Austin back in the 40s-50s maybe a little later than 50s general era. Again I dont know how close this is to coming about. Like I said I could not actually read but maybe the first few sentences of the story.
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Looks like a grocery store may return to 18th and Austin Ave. per the Trib
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Last: 2 days ago by PartyBear
Is this the building across the street from the library that has been multiple furniture stores the past several decades?
I don't feel tardy
Yes
Not much parking there if I recall correctly, not sure this would work.
I don't feel tardy
Article says that it would be the fifth or sixth location in Texas of an upscale grocer. Trying to think what brand that might be.
I'm curious. I have no idea what chain that would be then.
As to the parking. Remember back in the 40s-50s the days of that HEB, grocery stores were not that big, they were small and catered to a neighborhood or two and therefore were more, rather than giant and fewer like now. That whole building will encompass the store area for the public and the back stock area. Still the parking does seem small for a grocery store. I dont know what the parking was for it back in its HEB day. There is building on 18th and Austin across 18th from it. But I think I remember a really old house there at one time in the 80s and 90s that looked like it was from the 20s or so. But maybe I dont remember it right. Maybe back in the day that lot was HEB's parking lot.
As to the parking. Remember back in the 40s-50s the days of that HEB, grocery stores were not that big, they were small and catered to a neighborhood or two and therefore were more, rather than giant and fewer like now. That whole building will encompass the store area for the public and the back stock area. Still the parking does seem small for a grocery store. I dont know what the parking was for it back in its HEB day. There is building on 18th and Austin across 18th from it. But I think I remember a really old house there at one time in the 80s and 90s that looked like it was from the 20s or so. But maybe I dont remember it right. Maybe back in the day that lot was HEB's parking lot.
It is not a brand people will know, unless they are living in Austin area.
Central Market? lolBobby Tables said:
Article says that it would be the fifth or sixth location in Texas of an upscale grocer. Trying to think what brand that might be.
Trader joes has around 10 in Texas. Sprouts has even more.
The old Hicks building. Glad to see that getting some use again. Inasmuch as it's nice that downtown (or uptown) will be getting a grocery store, I am not sure I love the location. Sironia is now gone. There is still a little development in those parts, but will the locals be enamored with the place enough to keep business steady? If it is upscale, maybe it can attract steady traffic from the Castle District, which has a little higher per capita income. It's probably too far uptown that they will see a lot of business from downtown residents. My guess is they will still frequent HEB.
"Smarter than the Average Bear."
It is about 8 blocks from what you are calling downtown. It is much closer than a HEB is to down town. I would imagine this grocery store is geared toward people doing their Christmas or Thanksgiving Dinner type shopping. It sounds like it may be a little boutique style grocery store. Kind of like a Aldi or Trader Joes type place but perhaps a smallish version of even those. According to google earth the main part of the building is only about 18K sq ft. The part that extends out a little that looks like it was once a delivery area back adds another 4k sq ft. It would not be anywhere close to the size of typical grocery store of the modern era.
This plus the above '5th or 6th location' would lead me to suspect Fresh Plus.FlyinDubGreenGold said:
It is not a brand people will know, unless they are living in Austin area.
I counted 33 parking spaces that currently exist in the highlighted area. You could park behind the library if you are desperate.
Could be Royal Blue Grocery. Foxtrot Grocery is another possibility, but I think they are slowing expansion. Those two may be too upscale so I am leaning Fresh Plus like EnglishBear
This is exciting news!
EnglishBear said:This plus the above '5th or 6th location' would lead me to suspect Fresh Plus.FlyinDubGreenGold said:
It is not a brand people will know, unless they are living in Austin area.
That's the rumor.
P.B., that house (1801 Austin) was indeed built in early 1900's , and was the home of famous Wacoan Madison Cooper..a name longtime Wacoan's readily recognize for his philantropy that continues even today. That house became the HQ for the Cooper Foundation, and can be used today for weddings, special events, etc..It's a real part of Waco history..I lived in south Waco in the 50's and early 60's,and our family shopped regularly at that HEB..I loved riding in the carts as a youngster! Dr. Neil Simpson and Dr. Wilson Crosthwait Sr. both had offices directly across 18th..That was a busy corner in Waco's past. Glad a grocery is returning ! Wish them all the best!PartyBear said:
I'm curious. I have no idea what chain that would be then.
As to the parking. Remember back in the 40s-50s the days of that HEB, grocery stores were not that big, they were small and catered to a neighborhood or two and therefore were more, rather than giant and fewer like now. That whole building will encompass the store area for the public and the back stock area. Still the parking does seem small for a grocery store. I dont know what the parking was for it back in its HEB day. There is building on 18th and Austin across 18th from it. But I think I remember a really old house there at one time in the 80s and 90s that looked like it was from the 20s or so. But maybe I dont remember it right. Maybe back in the day that lot was HEB's parking lot.
Thank you Bexar however the house you are speaking of is still there. I have been to events held there. The lot I am talking about has a building on it and is directly across Austin from the house you are talking about. I don't remember how long building has been there I'm thinking it is 20-30 years old but I don't remember for sure everything at that intersection pre 2000 or so.
The actual corner on 18th and Austin directly across from the Cooper house was originally a drug store, with the 2 doctors I mentioned having offices heading south down 18th..It's been some years since I've been by that corner, so I dont know if the old builings have been leveled and replaced or not..I would guess they have just been redone inside, particularly the old drug store, but I can't say for sure..I may drive down there and take a peek...Gives an old fart something to do !
I'm going to say the building there now is probably not the building that housed a couple of doctor's offices and a drug store. But it answers my question that there wasn't a house on the lot anytime during my time and it was not likely a parking lot for the HEB that was there.
The building on the SW corner of 18th and Austin was originally a Williams Drug store back in the 60s (it's the Wine Shoppe now). However, there was a large victorian house that originally stood there similar to the Cooper house. My grandparents lived in its garage apartment as newlyweds in 1930. My grandmother said it was owned by 2 sisters who also had a house in California they split time in. The sisters asked my grandparents to stay there as caretakers while they went to California, but my grandfather had a fulltime job and they were starting a family, so they didn't stay. Not sure when the house was torn down and the drug store built, but it was probably some time in the late 1940s/early 1950s.Bexar Pitts said:
The actual corner on 18th and Austin directly across from the Cooper house was originally a drug store, with the 2 doctors I mentioned having offices heading south down 18th..It's been some years since I've been by that corner, so I dont know if the old builings have been leveled and replaced or not..I would guess they have just been redone inside, particularly the old drug store, but I can't say for sure..I may drive down there and take a peek...Gives an old fart something to do !
That would be pretty cool. Nice addition to the Waco grocery scene. I'd think the market is at a point it would support it, and that part of Waco could really use a grocery store.FirmBear24 said:EnglishBear said:This plus the above '5th or 6th location' would lead me to suspect Fresh Plus.FlyinDubGreenGold said:
It is not a brand people will know, unless they are living in Austin area.
That's the rumor.
Robert Wilson said:That would be pretty cool. Nice addition to the Waco grocery scene. I'd think the market is at a point it would support it, and that part of Waco could really use a grocery store.FirmBear24 said:EnglishBear said:This plus the above '5th or 6th location' would lead me to suspect Fresh Plus.FlyinDubGreenGold said:
It is not a brand people will know, unless they are living in Austin area.
That's the rumor.
Agreed. I loved fresh plus in Austin. Will stop on my way home from work downtown.
Thanks for the info, amigo..My earliest memories go back to early-mid 50's of that area..I went to both Dr. Crosthwait and Dr. Simpson as a youth..Dr, Manske as a toddler..His office was down Austin Ave. I believe..Remember looking at the Highlights magazine while waiting for the Dr...My grandparents lived on Washington in a big old house directly behind Wiiliam and Suzanne Sloane.Their property featured some very upscale apartments, named the Palm Court...Great memories of feeding their dogs with my Grandad when the Sloanes were off on their world travels..That was in the 50's.whitetrash said:The building on the SW corner of 18th and Austin was originally a Williams Drug store back in the 60s (it's the Wine Shoppe now). However, there was a large victorian house that originally stood there similar to the Cooper house. My grandparents lived in its garage apartment as newlyweds in 1930. My grandmother said it was owned by 2 sisters who also had a house in California they split time in. The sisters asked my grandparents to stay there as caretakers while they went to California, but my grandfather had a fulltime job and they were starting a family, so they didn't stay. Not sure when the house was torn down and the drug store built, but it was probably some time in the late 1940s/early 1950s.Bexar Pitts said:
The actual corner on 18th and Austin directly across from the Cooper house was originally a drug store, with the 2 doctors I mentioned having offices heading south down 18th..It's been some years since I've been by that corner, so I dont know if the old builings have been leveled and replaced or not..I would guess they have just been redone inside, particularly the old drug store, but I can't say for sure..I may drive down there and take a peek...Gives an old fart something to do !
MCAD shows the Williams Drug building as built in 1950.Bexar Pitts said:Thanks for the info, amigo..My earliest memories go back to early-mid 50's of that area..I went to both Dr. Crosthwait and Dr. Simpson as a youth..Dr, Manske as a toddler..His office was down Austin Ave. I believe..Remember looking at the Highlights magazine while waiting for the Dr...My grandparents lived on Washington in a big old house directly behind Wiiliam and Suzanne Sloane.Their property featured some very upscale apartments, named the Palm Court...Great memories of feeding their dogs with my Grandad when the Sloanes were off on their world travels..That was in the 50's.whitetrash said:The building on the SW corner of 18th and Austin was originally a Williams Drug store back in the 60s (it's the Wine Shoppe now). However, there was a large victorian house that originally stood there similar to the Cooper house. My grandparents lived in its garage apartment as newlyweds in 1930. My grandmother said it was owned by 2 sisters who also had a house in California they split time in. The sisters asked my grandparents to stay there as caretakers while they went to California, but my grandfather had a fulltime job and they were starting a family, so they didn't stay. Not sure when the house was torn down and the drug store built, but it was probably some time in the late 1940s/early 1950s.Bexar Pitts said:
The actual corner on 18th and Austin directly across from the Cooper house was originally a drug store, with the 2 doctors I mentioned having offices heading south down 18th..It's been some years since I've been by that corner, so I dont know if the old builings have been leveled and replaced or not..I would guess they have just been redone inside, particularly the old drug store, but I can't say for sure..I may drive down there and take a peek...Gives an old fart something to do !
I guess the building had substantial renovations in one of the more recent decades. I honestly can remember that building before it was what iit is now. I don't recall a vacant building there or another business there. I want to think there was substantial work on it in the past 15 or so years. I think that is why I thought it new. That is what I seem to think I remember about the past, and not far back, regarding that lot, construction.