(Seguin) — Seguin’s retail sector continues to grow. Some recently announced stores are moving forward with their plans to build in Seguin.
Hobby Lobby is building a $5.28 million store. The 55,000 sq. ft. store will be part of the new Seguin Crossing shopping center. The new shopping center will be built along the Interstate 10 Frontage Road and Jay Road, which is an area near the Starbucks located east of State Highway 123 Bypass. The joint venture is being developed by Collett & Associates and the Alexander Family. The city of Seguin, the Seguin Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) and Guadalupe County all worked together to also make that project possible.
Seguin Crossing is also expected to house an Academy Sports + Outdoors, Five Below, James Avery, and more. Academy has a plan to build a 62,500 sq. ft. store, which represents about a $7 million investment in new construction. Five Below shows plans that it will invest nearly $1 million in its new Seguin location.
The latest details from from filings with the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation. The TDLR website also shows several other retail projects on tap for the city, including Kentucky Fried Chicken, a second O’Reilly Auto Parts, and a third McDonald’s that would be part of a convenience store being built along Highway 46 and Three Oaks Road.
The city has been aggressively pursuing retailers for years, and those efforts are paying off. Several other national retailers have also recently set up shop in Seguin, including Marshalls, Ross Dress for Less, Boot Barn and Harbor Freight.
More are likely to come as the city continues to grow, but other reports about stores coming to the proposed Town Center project on I-10 west of Highway 46 — appear to be premature. New Quest announced years ago it’s plans to develop the shopping center. It continues to market the development. Those marketing brochures show what potentially could happen at that location, but officials say that doesn’t mean that those stores are coming. It just represents the potential for the project at this time.
Along with the retail growth, the city of Seguin is also experiencing significant growth in its housing sector. Several new subdivision are going up around the city, including the recent announcement of the Walnut Springs subdivision. The neighborhood would be the city’s first master-planned community. It calls for the construction of more than 1,100 new homes, at various price points. It will also include a number of new amenities that will benefit the entire community, including park space and land for a new fire station. The city recently approved Public Improvement District (PID) with the developer Bitter Blue. The clock is now ticking on that project, and the city says they expect work to be started within the next two years.
City Attorney Mark Kennedy walked the council through the adoption of the PID on Tuesday night, it includes language that would dissolve it if the developer doesn’t move in time.
“So, the first item involves two agreements, or a resolution and an agreement. There’s a resolution to create the Public Improvement District, the petition for which you received in December or last month. And then there’s a corresponding dissolution agreement that we’re asking you authorize tonight, if you create the PID. The dissolution agreement would be an agreement currently and presently to dissolve the created PID if nothing is done within two years of its creation — effectively, two years from tonight. That is not something we’re expecting. We’re expecting this to proceed,” said Kennedy.
City leaders say the growth in the city largely aligns with what people have said the wanted in Seguin, and also reflects the city’s comprehensive, downtown and economic development master plans.