A well-known retail site in Houston’s Garden Oaks neighborhood is set to receive a revival featuring a familiar red bullseye. Target has filed plans to construct a new 129,490-square-foot store at 4000 N. Shepherd Dr., the former site of the historic Sears department store that served North Houston for over 70 years before closing in 2020.
A filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation indicates that the $19.1 million project is anticipated to commence in April 2026 and complete by March 2027, with development led by RSP Architects from Minneapolis, Minn., Target’s hometown.
Although TDLR filings are preliminary and subject to change, the plans represent significant progress in the long-debated future of the historic site. While Target has not officially confirmed the store’s opening, a spokesperson told Chron, “At Target, we continuously explore possible locations for new stores. I can tell you we are pursuing the opportunity to reach guests in the Houston Garden Oaks area, but at this time, we’re not at a point where we can share any new store plans.”
It remains uncertain if Target will preserve or integrate the site’s iconic art deco-style sign into its new design, a choice that could resonate symbolically with many longtime residents who remember the location as a neighborhood staple. The Garden Oaks Sears originally opened in 1949 and served the surrounding communities before closing in 2020 as part of Sears’ national decline. The building was demolished soon after.
Despite the demolition, the site—with its prominent art deco-style sign that once defined the street corner—remains etched in local memory. The sign, a local landmark, is a highly visible reminder of the site’s history, often referenced by longtime Houstonians as a symbol of the area’s mid-century commercial peak.
In 2023, Sugar Land-based Lamasar Capital purchased the 11.7-acre property, with financial support from Houston-based Summit Capital and Delta LP, as reported by the Houston Business Journal. At the time, Lamasar co-founder Ashiq Ali stated that the company’s vision was to replace the aging Sears structure with a mixed-use development comprising retail and residential components.
It remains uncertain whether Target’s store will be part of this broader mixed-use vision or if it will operate independently.
The Garden Oaks location is among several former Sears sites in the Houston area undergoing or slated for transformation. Midtown’s Sears, which closed in 2018, was redeveloped as The Ion, the city’s flagship innovation hub. At Memorial City Mall, a former Sears is being transformed into the massive Memorial Town Square project. Deerbrook Mall’s closed Sears may soon become an entertainment complex, while the Willowbrook and Texas City locations are still in transition.
