When Haltom City unveiled plans in 2023 for a $100 million retail development anchored by H Mart, the popular Asian grocery giant, city leaders heralded the deal as nothing less than a triumph.
For years, the city of 45,000 on the eastern fringes of Fort Worth has struggled to claw its way out of economic stagnation — largely ignored by developers while the rest of the Metroplex boomed. Haltom City doesn’t have a traditional-format grocery store, let alone a Walmart, Target or other big-box retailer.
With this deal, Haltom City had beaten its wealthier neighbors to land H Mart, the fastest growing grocery chain in America, one that draws a cult following from miles around…