Ted Hutto of Tarat Properties out of Pampa, which has purchased the former Kroger location at 302 N. Main Avenue, informed BrownwoodNews.com following Tuesday’s meeting of the Brownwood Municipal Development District Board of Directors that Shoe Dept. Encore will occupy a significant portion of the building, which is currently being renovated.

The former Kroger is 27,000 square feet and Shoe Dept. Encore will take up 15,550 square feet of space, according to Hutto.

“They sought us,” Hutto said of the process of attracting Shoe Dept. Encore to Brownwood. “We were pretty blessed that we acquired the building and within three months they approached us. It took about three or four months of negotiations but we signed the contract over the summer.”

Shoe Dept. Encore is expected to open either at the end of the first quarter or the beginning of the second quarter of 2024, according to Hutto.

According to the Shoe Dept. Encore website, they are a retail chain stocking casual, dress and athletic shoes for men, women and kids, including name brands.  Nearby locations are Abilene, Stephenville and Killeen.

“We’re redoing everything,” Hutto said. “We just replaced the floor. There will be a new facade, new utilities, everything will be new.”

A second tenant – which has not yet been determined – will occupy the remaining 11,500 square feet. There is no timetable currently on when the space will be filled.

“There’s a lot of people showing interest, but as we progress and people see what it’s going to look like I think we’ll get even more attention,” Hutto said. “We’re looking for another national tenant like Shoe Dept. Encore.”

Also during Tuesday’s BMDD meeting, Executive Director Ray Tipton announced that Home 2 Suites, located beside the former Studebaker’s, is projected to open in mid-November, while the Providencia Mexican restaurant, located in the former Texas Funco Building, is still shooting for an opening by the end of the 2023 calendar year.

Also, TommyHawk will be moving from its location on Baker Street to Fisk Avenue, near the Brownwood Art Association.

Trafalgar Homes, located on Milam Drive, are nearing completion and some units have already been rented, Tipton informed the Board.

Tipton also stated plans for the former OYO Hotel location, where demolition and clearance have been completed, would be shared in the near future.

(story by Derrick Stuckly of Brownwoodnews.com)