Work on the redevelopment of Tom Thumb at Redbird Mall is expected to begin in the coming months.
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Construction on a 50,000-square-foot Tom Thumb grocery store that will be built as part of the Redbird Mall redevelopment plan is scheduled to begin in September.
Construction on the store is estimated to cost about $7.75 million and is scheduled for completion in November 2025. Tom Thumb, located at the southeast corner of Camp Wisdom and Westmoreland streets, is expected to create at least 90 jobs. Last year, the store received approval for a $5.8 million incentive package from the Dallas City Council.
New details about the project emerged in documents filed with the state on July 26, with developer Peter Brodsky providing more details about the long-awaited addition to an already high-profile project.
The store will bring a supermarket chain to South Dallas, an area often lacking in grocery options, and will revitalize the west side of the Redbird Redevelopment District, drawing more people to the area, Brodsky said.
Overall, the Shops at Redbird project aims to transform 107 acres of an old shopping mall into an upscale mixed-use development with office, retail, restaurant and residential space.
The development team has already demolished about 100,000 square feet of the mall and began renovations of the west wing in February. Work on the west side is expected to be completed by the end of the year and will include interior renovations, new facades for windows and storefronts, and the creation of a small green space.
Brodsky said he expects the Tom Thumb stores will generate more foot traffic than the chain’s Albertsons Cos.-owned stores typically do, given the limited grocery store options in south Dallas, but he didn’t have an exact estimate on foot traffic.
“The north star of this development has been and continues to be bringing quality amenities to the community,” Brodsky said. “This is just one example of the quality amenities we’re bringing with us, University of Texas Southwestern on the east side of the parcel, University of Dallas in the middle and Starbucks on the north side. Now we’re going to have a grocery store on the west side of the parcel, but we want this to be a quality center for the community. Whatever amenities you’re looking for, if you live in the Redbird neighborhood, or South Dallas more broadly, Redbird is going to be the place to get them.”
The Redbird’s redevelopment, led by Brodsky and co-developer Terrence Maiden, is being held up as an example of the investment South Dallas needs to pull itself out of decades of economic neglect. Tom Thumb will join Redbird’s existing tenants, including Chime Solutions, Foot Locker and Children’s Health, which will occupy 71,000 square feet of the center.
