The island is located less than an hour's drive southeast ofDowntown Houston. The mall had closed in 1996. The ruling clearsthe way for Island Realty to tear down the mall along Interstate 45and 61st Street and develop a 300,000-sf power center with a homeimprovement store and other big-box retailers. Island Realty isowned by Houstonian Randy Hall and Dallas businessman TodRuble.

Ruble is the founder of Cambria Acquisition, which now plans tobuy the property from Houston-based Galtex Property Investors Inc.The closing is scheduled for Nov. 28. Galtex had filed for Chapter11 bankruptcy protection in September.

The Galvez Mall began deteriorating in the early 1990s whenSears relocated to the Mall of the Mainland near Texas City. Themall's shrinking customer base had caused a number of retailers toseek more profitable locations.