Burlington is expanding its retail footprint in Texas this year by taking over storefronts previously occupied by the failed company Conn’s.
New Jersey-based Burlington plans to open four locations in San Antonio, three of which were previously home to the defunct Texas-based furniture and appliances chain before its bankruptcy last year triggered the closure of 550 stores nationwide and left 4 million square feet of retail and industrial space vacant across Texas, the San Antonio Express News reported.
Burlington has acquired more than a dozen of Conn’s leases, including 10 in Texas. San Antonio’s shopping centers and malls reached 95.2 percent occupancy at the end of last year, the highest level since Weitzman began tracking the market in the mid-1990s, and vacancies are short-lived.
The only Burlington location not previously tied to Conn’s is the Woodlake Crossing storefront at 6216 Wood Glen Drive. The three stores previously leased to Conn’s are at 4807 West Commerce Street, 11650 Bandera Road and 3143 SouthEast Military Drive. Burlington plans to move to 4807 West Commerce in the spring and the other two locations over the fall.
Other retailers are also expanding, with Family Leisure moving into a former Macy’s at Rolling Oaks Mall; Homesense opening at The Rim and a former Bed Bath & Beyond; and two pickleball businesses securing locations at the Park North and Blanco Market shopping centers. Panera Bread repurposed a former bank at Loop 1604 and Culebra Road.
Limited retail construction is contributing to the low occupancy rate.
Only 423,000 square feet was added last year, and most of that was built-to-suit. Major projects included H-E-B’s 110,000-square-foot store at Lemon Creek Ranch, Home Depot’s 108,000-square-foot store at Loop 1604 and Marbach Road and Academy Sports + Outdoors’ 63,000-square-foot store in Bulverde. The 54,000-square-foot entertainment complex north of The Rim also added space.
— Andrew Terrell
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