The Woodlands Development Company announced on Jan. 17 the long-awaited grocery store tenant for the Creekside Park Village Center, the final village to be developed in The Woodlands. H-E-B was announced by the Development Company as the major tenant, making the Creekside Park location the fourth store in The Woodlands.

" We are pleased to announce that H-E-B is building its fourth store in The Woodlands at Creekside Park Village Center," said Alex Sutton, president of The Woodlands Development Company. "Based on their long-running success in The Woodlands, we know they will undoubtedly continue to serve the community and add to the rich amenities planned for this center."

A construction date for the new store has not been announced, but Susan Vreeland-Wendt, director of marketing for the Development Company, said once construction does begin, the store would be completed in about nine months.

Now that H-E-B has been named as the anchor tenant, more announcements regarding tenants could be announced soon.

" There are already quite a few transactions in negotiation at this time, and we expect the H-E-B announcement to be the stimulus for even more," Vreeland-Wendt said. "Response to the exciting design plans and prime location for this center have been extremely favorable."

Once construction on the village center begins, the project could be completed in about a year, she said.

According to the Development Company, the 100-acre village center will be situated on Kuykendahl Road between Creekside Forest Drive and Creekside Green Drive and will be one of the most scenic neighborhood centers developed within The Woodlands. The shopping center will feature a village green that includes a tree-lined park and water feature, a 4,300-square-foot glass-walled restaurant, 52,000 square feet of retail space and 28,000 square feet of office space. Other tenants may include a drug store anchor, professional offices and other retail developments.