H-E-B plants a flag in Dallas properH-E-B plants a flag in Dallas proper

San Antonio, Texas-based grocer H-E-B has been dancing around Dallas for many years now.

But it appears the regional supermarket chain is now ready to commit to a location in the city proper.

H-E-B on Monday announced that a subsidiary of the chain purchased a 10-acre site in Dallas, at Hillcrest Road and LBJ Freeway, on the far north side of the city. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

There’s still some bureaucracy to contend with: H-E-B said it will now work with area neighbors and city officials on rezoning and store planning, and local reports said the store is slated to open late next year.

“While we have a lot of work to do, we look forward to connecting with our neighbors, the city, and community stakeholders to ensure we create a destination that best supports this community,” H-E-B Public Affairs Managing Director Mabrie Jackson said in a statement. “This is the first step in a long process, and we hope to share more details with our neighbors soon.”

H-E-B first entered the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 2001, with the opening of an outpost of its upscale Central Market concept there. In the years since, the retailer has opened five H-E-B stores in the DFW Metroplex area.

In June, H-E-B opened a location of its value-focused Joe V’s Smart Shop in Dallas, with a second store in the city slated to open this spring. A third Joe V’s is also planned in nearby Irving, Texas.

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H-E-B, the largest private employer in Texas, operates more than 435 stores in Texas and Mexico and employs more than 160,000 workers in more than 300 communities.