MetroNational will turn a 27-acre plot near Memorial City Mall at Barryknoll Lane and Gessner Road into a retail development. 

The development, Memorial Town Square, was first announced in 2019 as a then-unnamed shopping center for the site where a Sears formerly stood. MetroNational tore down the department store in 2020. 

The new development will be 190K SF and is set to begin construction next year with an expected 2025 completion date. 

“MetroNational has been working towards this day for more than 25 years,” MetroNational President Jason Johnson said in a release. “Memorial Town Square was designed for the community with the hope that they would one day consider it a part of their daily lives — hence the name.” 

The development is expected to house more than 40 retailers, and about 35% of tenants will be restaurants. Memorial Town Square will also offer green space for events. 

Gensler is the design architect on the project, and The Office of James Burnett is the landscape architect. RSM Design is the environmental graphics and wayfinding firm, RUE is acting as leasing consultant and Pacific Retail Capital Partners is the development consultant. 

Memorial Town Square is just the latest Houston construction project launched by MetroNational in the area. Other projects include a new 190K SF office tower, new multifamily units and what MetroNational calls a "reimagining" of Memorial City Mall itself. Part of Memorial City mall will be demolished for that new retail development, the Houston Business Journal reported.