The City of Orange is poised to take a significant step forward in local retail development with a proposed economic incentive package aimed at bringing a new, full-scale H-E-B grocery store to the current site of the Northway Shopping Center, strategically located off Interstate 10.
The Orange City Council and the Orange Economic Development Corporation (EDC) will hold consecutive public meetings on Tuesday to discuss and vote on the agreement, which outlines a collaborative effort between the city and the Texas-based grocery giant. The EDC Board will meet at 4:30 p.m. on August 26, 2025, followed by the City Council meeting at 5:30 p.m.
Under the proposed agreement, the City of Orange would provide H-E-B a $1.5 million grant for construction infrastructure, along with a 10-year, 33 percent sales tax rebate. In return, H-E-B would privately invest approximately $4.19 million in public infrastructure improvements, including relocating Meeks Drive and constructing detention ponds to enhance drainage.
The relocation of Meeks Drive, currently situated behind the shopping center, is planned to curve around the existing Kidney Dialysis Center and connect to 16th Street. To help offset the cost of these improvements, the EDC is considering up to $1.5 million in additional incentives.
H-E-B has operated a small “pantry” format store on 16th Street North since 1990. In 2016, plans were announced for a larger location in neighboring Pinehurst at the former MacArthur Shopping Center site, but that project was ultimately shelved. Unlike Orange, Pinehurst does not have an EDC to offer incentive packages.
If approved by both the EDC and City Council, this deal would represent a significant investment in Orange’s economic and retail future, potentially expanding access to fresh food, creating jobs, and enhancing infrastructure in a high-traffic corridor.