Business

It’s Official: H-E-B MacGregor Market Breaks Ground

HOUSTON FORWARD TIMES — Council Member Boykins took a major step forward to addressing food deserts in the Third Ward.

Published

7 years ago

February 19, 2019

By Jeffery L. Boney

When Council Member Dwight Boykins was sworn in to the Houston City Council in 2014 to represent District D, one of his primary goals was to help eradicate food deserts across the district, particularly in areas that were underserved like Houston’s Third Ward community.

After a five-year journey of hard and relentless work, and through the formation of a unique public-private sector partnership with H-E-B, this past Saturday, February 9, Council Member Boykins took a major step forward to addressing food deserts in the Third Ward, as they officially broke ground on a brand new grocery store in an area that has long suffered from limited access to healthy and affordable food options.

The new H-E-B MacGregor Market will be located at the intersection of N. MacGregor Way and State Highway 288. The new 90,000 sq. ft. store will feature expansive shopping options and added services for convenience, quality selection and unsurpassed freshness.

Council Member Boykins was joined by Mayor Sylvester Turner, H-E-B Houston President Scott McClelland, other H-E-B executives, the new MacGregor Market H-E-B leadership and other city leaders to help celebrate this momentous groundbreaking occasion, marking a milestone in District D.

“I am so excited to be able to bring a quality, upscale grocery store to our community,” said Boykins. “Shortly after I was sworn into office, I contacted and asked several retailers to take a tour of our District and the only retailer that responded was H-E-B. I shared that this store could become a sustainable solution for our community and catalyst for economic development, as well as a nationally recognized best practice for public-private partnerships. Clearly, H-E-B got it. The H-E-B MacGregor Market belongs to all of us and should be a hallmark in this city for many years to come.”

Boykins tells the Forward Times that this is the only public/private partnership store in H-E-B’s inventory and that it will create 400 jobs and bring a diversity of products to the area.

“Thanks to the work of officials with H-E-B, the administration of former Mayor Annise Parker, Mayor Sylvester Turner and his team, Houston Community College, the Houston Department of Housing and Community Development, the Houston Housing Finance Corporation, Ms. Licia Green with Waterman Steele, past and current members of my staff, community stakeholders and so many countless others, we are finally crossing the finish line,” said Boykins. “Our community overwhelmingly supported the concept of bringing a grocery store to this site.”

The leadership of H-E-B states that they have been committed to providing a larger store for the Third Ward community for some time.

“This parcel of land affords H-E-B the space needed to build a new, replacement store for our neighbors with expanded offerings and a state-of-the-art design,” said Winell Herron, H-E-B’s Group VP for Public Affairs, Diversity and Environmental Affairs. “We have thoughtfully designed a store the community will be proud of when we open at the end of this year. We respect this community’s deep culture and commitment to maintaining its residential character while supporting a revitalization of local business. We are confident this store will add to the vibrant commerce in this historic area.”

According to H-E-B leadership, H-E-B MacGregor Market shoppers will enjoy their traditional selections of local favorites, as well as fresh Produce, Dairy, H-E-B Organics, full-service scratch Bakery Department with artisan breads and self-serve pastry items, an expansive Deli featuring in-house roasted meats, full-service Seafood Department, Wine Department with a variety of local, national and international labels to choose from, Healthy Living, a Floral Department offering online ordering, a full-service Meat Market, a full line of Meal Simple items, an in-house Pharmacy with dedicated pick-up and drop-off counters as well as a drive-thru window, and one of H-E-B’s newest features – a dedicated Curbside pick-up area.

Boykins states that he is confident this store will serve as the catalyst for more economic development and revitalization in the Third Ward area, and will be heralded as a national model for public/private partnerships. The store will take nine months to construct and will replace the neighborhood’s current H-E-B on Old Spanish Trail and Scott Street.

Construction on the H-E-B MacGregor Market will begin soon with a completion date scheduled for late 2019 and will replace the current H-E-B in Third Ward, located on Old Spanish Trail and Scott Street. H-E-B leadership states that the new store will be the first of its kind and it is expected to be three times the size of the Old Spanish Trail location. The Old Spanish Trail location will close a day prior to the new store opening, according to H-E-B.

This article originally appeared in the Houston Forward Times.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 6 – 12, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of may 6 – 12, 2026

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May 10, 2026

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Up to the Job: How San Francisco’s PRC Is Providing Work Opportunities That Turn Into Lasting Stability

Each year, PRC serves more than 5,000 clients through a wide range of programs. These include housing navigation, legal advocacy to ensure access to health and public benefits, supportive housing, job and life-skills training, and residential treatment programs.

Published

3 weeks ago

April 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Black Leadership Council (BLC) Advocacy Day in Sacramento. BLC works to advance meaningful change through policy engagement to unlock the full potential of Black and low-income communities. Photo courtesy of PRC.

By Joe Kocurek, California Black Media

Seville Christian arrived in San Francisco in the 1990s from Kansas City, Mo., a transgender woman coming from a time and place still hostile to who she was.

San Francisco offered a deeper LGBTQ+ history and a more visible community of people like her, but even in a city known for acceptance, building a stable life from scratch was no small task.

After arriving in the city, she turned to Positive Resource Center (PRC) looking for work — and for a foothold — in a new place.

“PRC gave me my first job,” Christian said. “A simple gig — passing out magazines at the San Francisco Pride Parade.”

That first opportunity marked the beginning of a decades-long relationship with PRC, one that has seen Christian grow from client to valued employee, and eventually to policy fellow.

“Today, I’ve been with PRC for 27 years, going on 28,” she said.

Seville Christian’s decades-long relationship with PRC includes as a client, fellow and beloved employee. Photo courtesy of PRC.

Helping people access employment and build sustainable careers has been a cornerstone of PRC’s mission since its inception nearly four decades ago. In its most recent annual impact report, PRC served 443 clients through workforce development services, including career counseling, educational programs, hands-on training, and job search assistance. The average wage earned by PRC clients is $26.48 per hour — approximately 38% above San Francisco’s minimum wage.

To advance this work, organizations like PRC have benefited from funding through California’s Stop the Hate Program, which provides direct support to community-based organizations leading anti-hate initiatives.

Christian’s path was not without challenges. During some rocky years, she experienced periods of housing instability and struggled with addiction. Through PRC, she enrolled in a life-skills program that emphasized using her own lived experience as a means of helping others. The program helped set her on a path toward completing an associate’s degree and ultimately launching a career in case management.

“Today, whether someone is new to the city or has lived here their whole life, I know how to help them navigate to where they need to be,” Christian said.

Members of PRC’s Black Leadership Council meet with a lawmaker in Sacramento. Photo courtesy of PRC.

While PRC was founded to serve people living with HIV, its mission has expanded over the decades to meet the needs of people with disabilities, individuals experiencing homelessness, and those facing mental health and substance use challenges.

According to PRC’s Chief of Public Policy and Public Affairs, Tasha Henneman, some of the organization’s earliest programs remain as vital today as they were at the start.

“Our emergency financial assistance program helped more than 1,200 people this year pay rent, cover medical bills, and keep the lights on,” Henneman said. “And over 1,400 people reached out for legal advocacy, resulting in more than $2.5 million in retroactive benefits unlocked.”

Beyond direct services, PRC is deeply committed to community empowerment and policy change. Programs such as the Black Leadership Council support community leaders in advocating for systemic reform, while the Black Trans Initiative focuses on addressing the unique challenges faced by Black transgender individuals.

A recent study from the Williams Institute highlighted findings that 71% of transgender homicide victims in the U.S. between 2010 and 2021 were Black and that nearly a third of the transgender homicides during that period were confirmed or suspected hate crimes.

PRC’s direct and indirect services can be a lifeline for people experiencing hate and are an example of the resources people can get connected with through the state’s CA vs Hate hotline.

PRC is now also producing a film project that centers the lived experiences of Black trans clients, including individuals like Christian.

PRC welcomed guests to their annual Open House in April, an evening dedicated to connection, reflection, and learning more about the programs and people working every day to support San Franciscans experiencing housing instability, unemployment, and behavioral health challenges. Photo courtesy of PRC.

“Our film highlights the health journeys and lived experiences of some of PRC’s Black trans clients,” Henneman said. “Our goal is to give voice, visibility, and agency to the participants — and to bring their stories, both harrowing and inspirational, to policymakers and the broader public.”

The film, expected to be released later this year, is directed by Yule Caise, with assistant director Zarina Codes, a Black transgender San Francisco resident.

Today, Christian continues her relationship with PRC as an ambassador, reflecting on a journey that began with a single job opportunity and grew into a lifelong commitment to service.

“Sometimes I’ll be riding the bus or standing in a grocery store, and someone will come up to me from a women’s shelter,” she said. “They’ll say, ‘Oh, Miss Seville, I just want to thank you. You really helped me with what I was dealing with.’”

She paused, smiling.

“And in those moments,” Christian said, “I think to myself, “Well!.”

A single word that sums up pride in a journey to find the best in herself.

Get Support After Hate:

California vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hotline and online portal offering confidential support for hate crimes and incidents. Victims and witnesses can get help anonymously by calling 833-8-NO-HATE (833-866-4283), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. PT, or online at any time. Anonymous. Confidential. No Police. No ICE.

This story was produced in partnership with CA vs Hate. Join them for the first-ever CA Civil Rights Summit on May 11, 2026. More information at www.cavshate.org/summit.