Sellers get closing date for Dallas’ iconic Garibaldi Bazaar

Vendors at the famous Hispanic Garibaldi Bazaar were given a deadline to vacate the building amid apparent plans to replace the famous market with a hardware store.

According to a letter sent to local tenants, the deadline to vacate the market is March 31, 2025.

The news came as no surprise to vendors, as rumors of the bazaar’s closure due to the construction of a new Home Depot store surfaced earlier this year. However, some had hoped to stay longer at the bazaar, located at 9334 East RL Thornton Freeway.

“We knew this was coming, but it’s just too sad to have to close the business I started in this location 20 years ago,” said Pilar Aguilar, owner of a Mexican restaurant in the bazaar. “This place allowed me to fulfill my dream of owning a restaurant.”

Elias Ramirez, the bazaar’s manager, did not respond to multiple calls from The Dallas Morning News I’m looking for a comment.

In March, applications were filed with the City of Dallas Board of Adjustment indicating that the site where the bazaar has been for more than 20 years was being considered for a Home Depot store. The news has reported.

The applications submitted to the city call for changing parking requirements to accommodate the future Home Depot store. The documents are signed by the owner of the building where the Garibaldi Bazaar is located.

Louis Lebowitz, president of 9334 LTD, the Dallas-based real estate company that owns the property, authorized Jordan Corbitt, Home Depot’s site development coordinator, to serve as applicant.

The board gave Home Depot’s application the green light on Oct. 21. The case is now awaiting a hearing date before the City Planning Commission committee. If approved there, it would then go to the Dallas City Council for a vote.

Daniel Wood, president of the Buckner Terrace Neighborhood Association, said his association supports the new store.

“People are excited. “We’re tired of driving to Mesquite to go to Home Depot,” Wood said. “We no longer have to leave our neighborhood to actually shop for home improvement items.”

Home Depot has another location near Mesquite, less than 10 minutes from the bazaar.

The vibrant Garibaldi Bazaar, with more than 300 stores, is a historic place for Dallas’ Latino community to meet and find products and services. The market sells everything from food and snacks from various Latin American countries to quinceañera clothing, jewelry, and traditional Mexican clothing such as ponchos, toys, and other items.

Some providers are now looking for a place to relocate their business.

“It’s difficult to start in a new place once you’re established and people know you,” said Carlos Mora, who sells soccer equipment and has worked at the bazaar for seven years. “Thank God I also have a place in another bazaar, but it’s not easy to close your shop.”

The news received a letter from the bazaar manager urging tenants to “keep calm and take advantage of the Christmas and Valentine’s Day sales.”