By Ron Aaron Eisenberg
When I moved to San Antonio in the 1980s, people told me I needed to visit the “Gucci B” at 4821 Broadway in Alamo Heights.
“What’s that,” I would ask.
They’d explain, “It’s an amazing, upscale grocery store owned by H-E-B.” And so I went. And they were right. It was an amazing store. I later learned it was reportedly designed in 1951 by the late O’Neil Ford, a world-renowned architect. It was a unique design for the times- two stories with underground parking and a truly upscale selection of fruits, veggies, meats, and more.
In 1999, the “Gucci B” morphed into Central Market, an upscale version of what was already an upscale store, with some 63,000 sq. ft.
Now, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Central Market on Broadway will reportedly undergo “Phase 1” of a remodeling and expansion project, estimated to cost more than 6 million dollars. Few details are available at this time, so stay tuned.