Shopping

When Sprouts Farmers Market was first announced as an anchor for Grand Imperial Marketplace this summer, residents in East Spring knew another grocery option was headed their way. Now, newly filed construction details are offering a much clearer picture of what the store will look like and when work could take place.

A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation project filing lists the future Sprouts Farmers Market at 5225 Riley Fuzzel Road, Suite 500, Spring, TX 77386. The approximately 23,024-square-foot store represents an estimated $4.2 million investment, with tenant construction currently scheduled to begin Jan. 1, 2027, and reach completion Oct. 29, 2027.

The filing describes the project as a tenant improvement within new construction, adding another concrete milestone for a store that had previously been announced without these detailed construction specifications.

For families living along the Grand Parkway between Interstate 45 and Interstate 69, the project is part of a much larger wave of retail following years of residential growth in this part of Montgomery County.

New Sprouts construction details emerge in East Spring

The 23,024-square-foot footprint is closely aligned with the smaller-format stores Sprouts has increasingly used during its national expansion. The company has previously described its newer approximately 23,000-square-foot design as an open, farmers market-style layout with produce at the center.

The new filing should not, however, be read as confirmation of a grand opening date. Construction schedules filed with the state are estimates and can change as projects move through development. Sprouts has not yet added the Grand Imperial Marketplace location to its public store directory with an official opening date.

The new tenant filing also follows a separate state registration for a much larger portion of Grand Imperial Marketplace. That project covers a 123,558-square-foot retail shell building and associated site work at the same 5225 Riley Fuzzel Road address, with an estimated construction cost of approximately $8.8 million.

Together, the filings show the pieces of the shopping center beginning to move from leasing announcements and site plans into more defined construction projects.

Sprouts will anchor a growing Grand Parkway shopping destination

Grand Imperial Marketplace is being developed at the northwest corner of Grand Parkway, or Highway 99, and Imperial Promenade Drive in Spring.

Fidelis Realty Partners' current leasing information identifies Sprouts, Marshalls, Planet Fitness and Five Below as anchor tenants, while the developer's August announcement also named Ross and Burlington among businesses planned for the development.

That mix gives the project a broader role than a neighborhood grocery center. Once completed and occupied, Grand Imperial Marketplace is expected to combine groceries, apparel, fitness and other everyday shopping in one destination.

Its location is also significant. The shopping center sits near growing communities including The Falls at Imperial Oaks, Woodson's Reserve and The Highlands. Fidelis has said nearly 25,000 additional homes are planned within the broader area surrounding the development, helping explain the growing retailer interest along this stretch of the Grand Parkway.

For nearby residents, that growth has a practical side. More shopping close to home can mean fewer trips toward Interstate 45 or other established commercial corridors for groceries and everyday errands.

What shoppers can expect from Sprouts Farmers Market

Sprouts has built its identity around a grocery format that differs from a traditional full-size supermarket.

The Phoenix-based company opened its first Sprouts Farmers Market in Chandler, Arizona, in 2002, building on the Boney family's earlier grocery and produce experience. Its original concept centered on making fresh, natural and organic foods more accessible while recreating elements of a farmers market inside a grocery store.

Produce remains at the heart of the layout, but the stores carry considerably more than fruits and vegetables. Shoppers can find meat and seafood, deli foods, dairy, frozen groceries, baked goods, bulk foods, vitamins and supplements and other grocery staples. Sprouts says about 90% of its more than 19,000 products are natural or organic, with selections catering to shoppers seeking gluten-free, plant-based, grass-fed, non-GMO and other specialty products.

That combination of conventional grocery needs and health-focused products has helped Sprouts expand rapidly. The company reached a major milestone close to home in September when its new store in The Woodlands became the chain's 500th location nationwide. Sprouts now operates more than 500 stores across 25 states and employs approximately 36,000 people.

Sprouts continues expanding across Greater Houston

The Grand Imperial Marketplace store will also deepen the company's presence on the north side of the Houston region.

Sprouts already operates a Spring store at 20708 Kuykendahl Road, while its new The Woodlands location opened in September at 4775 W. Panther Creek Drive. The company also opened stores in Kingwood and Webster earlier in 2026. Other Greater Houston locations include stores in Katy, Richmond, Pearland, Copperfield, the Spring Cypress area and The Heights.

The Woodlands opening was particularly notable for the company. Rather than simply adding another dot to the map, that store officially became Sprouts' 500th nationwide, a milestone reached 24 years after the first Sprouts opened in Arizona.

Now the East Spring project extends that growth farther along the Grand Parkway, placing another Sprouts closer to neighborhoods east of Interstate 45 and around the Riley Fuzzel Road corridor.

What happens next at Grand Imperial Marketplace?

For residents who have been following Grand Imperial Marketplace since its tenant lineup was announced, the latest filing represents progress rather than an opening announcement.

The Sprouts tenant improvement is currently scheduled to begin Jan. 1, 2027, with construction completion estimated for Oct. 29, 2027. Those dates can change, and completion of a construction project does not necessarily mean a store will immediately open to customers.

Still, the filing provides considerably more detail than was available when Sprouts was first announced for the center. Residents now have a specific 23,024-square-foot store project, a $4.2 million estimated construction investment and a defined address tied to the future grocery anchor.

For East Spring households watching new neighborhoods fill in along the Grand Parkway, Grand Imperial Marketplace is increasingly moving from something shown on development plans to a retail destination taking shape closer to home.

My Neighborhood News will continue following construction at Grand Imperial Marketplace and will provide updates as Sprouts Farmers Market and the center's other announced retailers move closer to opening.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.

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