Tesla May Take Over Former Austin Supermarket Space

It’s still unclear if Tesla wants to convert a onetime H-E-B supermarket into warehouse space or a new showroom, but the company has filed a perfunctory construction plan with the state.

The electric car manufacturer is planning to move into a nearly 65,000-square-foot facility at 7010 W. State Highway 71. That would be in the Center of the Hills shopping mall, owned by Kimco. The filing refers to the project as “interior build out for Tesla” and provided an estimated cost of $6.7 million for renovations.

The Austin Business Journal reports the building is in a populous and growing part of Austin. Marketing material from Kimco indicated that more than 62,000 people live within a three-mile radius of Center of the Hills. Southwest Austin’s retail occupancy rate of 97.3% was slightly above the metro average of 96.9% in the first quarter.

In addition to its South Austin showroom, Tesla has retail locations at The Domain and in Northwest Austin.