The hulking former Sears at Richardson Square is getting a second act as a multimillion-dollar, internationally flavored retail hub, with developers saying parts of the project should reopen this year. The old enclosed mall layout is being traded in for open-air corridors, a vendor-driven food hall and specialty shops designed to keep people hanging out, not just running errands. If the schedule stays on track, locals can expect dining and retail to roll out through late summer or early fall 2026.
According to Community Impact, Project Manager Patrick Garza said the renovation is “full steam ahead” and that some components could open by late summer or early fall 2026. The outlet reports that developer David Vu Tran of VM Holdings is describing the concept as an international model the team hopes to scale. Garza also noted that a January winter storm slowed exterior work, with interior build-outs now next on the schedule.
What’s planned
The centerpiece will be a food hall operated by National Food Hall Solutions, with about 10 vendor stalls wrapped around a central bar that the project team says will host live music and community events. Marketing materials list AEON, the Japanese grocer, as the anchor tenant for the redevelopment, according to the property listing for Richardson Square. Developers say the mix of grocery, small-format retail and an all-day dining program is meant to create a discovery-driven destination instead of a traditional in-and-out shopping trip.
Who’s behind the redo
Leasing and marketing materials point to local brokerage teams and national food hall consultants as partners on the project, with the property listing placing the center at 201 S. Plano Road at Belt Line Road. The plan carves the old big-box footprint into multiple storefronts tied together by outdoor walkways, a setup intended to spark both daytime and evening activity. The developer has signaled ambitions to use the Richardson project as a launching pad for similar efforts elsewhere, pitching the site as a model for experience-first retail.
Timeline and community impact
City officials have backed a vision that leans international, saying a well-executed redevelopment could help spur reinvestment in southeast Richardson, according to Community Impact. The project team has cautioned that weather and construction logistics will shape how quickly everything opens, but they expect visible movement in the coming months and the first public components by late summer or early fall 2026. Residents looking for the clearest clues on timing should keep an eye on permits and tenant announcements…