The Sam's Club in Grapevine damaged by a tornado two weeks before Christmas last year will not reopen.
A Sam's Club spokesman said the decision to keep the store permanently closed "aligns with the long-term growth strategy for our company."
Video from Texas Sky Ranger Thursday morning showed crews repairing the building's roof structure.
“After careful consideration and a thorough damage assessment, we have made the difficult business decision to close our Grapevine, Texas location that incurred extensive damage during the storm last December. This decision aligns with the long-term growth strategy for our company,” read a Sam's Club statement to NBC 5 Thursday.
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Walmart, the parent company of Sam’s Club, will continue to own the 160,000-square-foot damaged building but has no plans for it, Sam’s Club spokesman David Schrag told NBC 5's partners at The Dallas Morning News. Nearby Sam’s Club in Keller and Irving are about 10 miles west and east of the closed store. Sam’s Club operates 23 other warehouse clubs in North Texas.
“Since the initial closure in late 2022, we have seen the majority of our members shift their shopping patterns to nearby clubs," Shrang told The News.
Five people were hurt in the Dec. 13 tornado that left a trail of damage in several areas of Grapevine. Cellphone video showed the tornado crossing west to east over Texas 114, from the Sam's Club to the area near Baylor Scott and White Medical Center - Grapevine.
Damage reports in the area included missing paneling on roofs and walls from area businesses, a tractor-trailer tossed into a tree and dozens of damaged tree limbs. Parts of Grapevine Mills Mall and a Discount Tire location near the Sam's Club were also damaged.
A total of 16 tornadoes touched down Dec. 13 across North Texas. The tornado that hit Grapevine was an EF-1 with winds reaching as strong as 110 mph, the National Weather Service said.
