The Woodlands village centers at the heart of each neighborhood were formed around a master-planned vision for a community hub that included an anchor grocery store.

However, since chains such as Randalls and Kroger have closed several stores in the region, township leaders and the leasing company Regency Centers said they are looking at options other than a single large grocery store for the remaining spaces, and several tenants said anchors are needed to boost foot traffic.

How we got here

Both Sterling Ridge and Panther Creek have seen the departure of anchor grocery stores in their village centers since 2020. Most recently, Kroger closed in Sterling Ridge in April.

However, in Panther Creek, where a Randalls store closed in 2020, a Sprouts grocery store is slated to come in next ye

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