NTX: Central Market Destroyed by EF-3 Tornado in 2019 Reopens After Elaborate Rebuild

UPDATED: 8:02AM

Dallas (WBAP/KLIF) – Cheers, tears and hugs were seen as residents who live near the newly renovated and reopened Central Market store at Preston and Royal reopened today. The store is the first to reopen after the strip mall in which it is located was demolished by the devastating EF-3 tornado that hit North Texas in Oct. 2019,

.@CentralMarket at Preston ans Royal in Dallas reopens from devastating 2019 twister. Customers lined up to get inside. @570KLIF @WBAP247NEWS pic.twitter.com/6hyt5sUTMZ

— Clayton Neville (@ClaytonNeville) June 30, 2021

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Original post:

Dallas (WBAP/KLIF) – Nearly two years after a tornado outbreak destroyed many homes and businesses in North Texas, the newly rebuilt Central Market location at Preston and Royal officially re-pens to customers today [at 8am].

Dallas Mayor Eric johnson joined Central Market officials and employees for a ceremonial ribbon cutting Tuesday.

In a tweet, Johnson said that after the devastating ef-3 tornado, he knew that Dallas would “build back stronger than ever.”

In October 2019, North Dallas was devastated by an EF-3 tornado. I knew we would build back stronger than ever. This city does not stay down. Tonight was the latest chapter in our comeback story as we welcomed people back to the @CentralMarket at Preston and Royal. pic.twitter.com/B88Xg3axEm

— Eric Johnson (@Johnson4Dallas) June 30, 2021

The rebuild includes the addition of a curbside pickup; self-checkout registers; larger produce, seafood, and floral departments and more, according to Culture Map Dallas.

Central Market/H-E-B Division, says in a statement that Central Market and the entire Preston Royal community stepped up.

“The silver lining here is that our Preston Royal store is stronger and better, and we are ready to welcome back our loyal customers to provide them the service and shopping experience they deserve.”

To mark the reopening of the store, Central Market is giving a gift of $ 20,000 each to nearby Preston Hollow Elementary School and St. Mark’s School of Texas.

The store opens at 8am with many of its nearly 130 employees returning.

As for the devastating storm system that moved through North Texas on Sunday, Oct, 20, 2019, HEB which owns Central Market says on its website,
“The entire landscape of a 15-mile stretch in North Dallas was changed that evening including 10 Dallas ISD schools, three of which experienced significant damage and were not able to reopen at their original campuses.”

The Texas high-end supermarket chain announced the renovation project on 1-year anniversary of the storm last year.