H-E-B consolidating Austin regional offices with 6-acre land buy

Part of a stream system that leads to a fountain in the courtyard at the H-E-B Arsenal headquarters, seen in 2013. Part of a stream system that leads to a fountain in the courtyard at the H-E-B Arsenal headquarters, seen in 2013. Photo: Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News Photo: Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 30 Caption Close H-E-B consolidating Austin regional offices with 6-acre land buy 1 / 30 Back to Gallery

H-E-B is consolidating its Austin corporate operations with the purchase of roughly 100,000 square feet of office space on Austin’s North Side.

H-E-B said Friday it purchased a 6-acre lot with two 2-story office buildings that will begin lodging 100 Austin-area employees in June, according to a news release.

The San Antonio-based supermarket chain’s regional presence is currently spread across several rented offices in the state capital, unlike centralized regional offices in Corpus Christi and McAllen.

“This move will bring our entire Austin support team under one roof and allow us to work together as a stronger unit, enabling our team to keep up with the growth and demands of our dynamic region,” Jeff Thomas, H-E-B senior vice president and general manager, said in a statement.

“We will soon be celebrating an 80-year relationship with our Central Texas customers and we look forward to enhancing our support to our stores’ commitment to unparalleled customer service.”

The company didn’t disclose the purchase price for the 6-acre lot at 8100 Cameron Road, but Travis County Appraisal District records show the land was valued at almost $7.1 million in 2016.

The property has two buildings — one measuring 40,000 square feet, the other 60,000 square feet. An existing tenant is expected to stay in one of the buildings, H-E-B said.

H-E-B began renovating the property in August 2016, according to a Texas Department of License and Regulation filing. The company estimated it would spend about $3.6 million on renovations.

The company has a divisional office in Houston, a divisional office for Central Market in Dallas and a regional operations office in San Antonio in addition to its downtown headquarters.

jfechter@express-news.net