CEDAR PARK, Texas — With a new 7.79-acre mixed-use development project starting construction soon near the heart of Cedar Park, Williamson County could also be getting its first Trader Joe’s.
The 13,500-square-foot grocery store would be on the empty lot near the corner of East Whitestone Boulevard and Arrow Point Drive. According to documents from Cedar Park City Council, the project will also bring four other buildings to the south side of the property.
“We’ve been waiting for someone to come along with a vision for that space,” said Cedar Park City Councilmember Mel Kirkland.
Cedar Park leaders recently approved the property for special use, so developers could build the California-based grocery store there. For several years now, Kirkland said the city has looked at the property near for a potential development, because of its prime central location and proximity to the highways.
“We’re hoping since it’s on a state highway that has an extremely high traffic count, that something like the intended use would be coming to that space,” Kirkland said.
He also said for years, the city and neighbors have been writing to Trader Joe’s to bring the specialized grocery store to their area. Kirkland, along with the developers, believe it will be a good fit for the community.
“We get all the traffic, moving east-west and north-south … so with our demographics, high quality of life, we would be a good option for them and would make more sense,” Kirkland said.
According to Kirkland, the mixed-use project will bring what’s missing from the city: more businesses to fill in those open spaces.
In the 26 square miles of Cedar Park, Kirkland said the city has been holding pieces of land so that developers or property owners can bring in manufacturing sites, research and development, large businesses, corporate headquarters, and more.
Kirkland also said now that the city has been coming out of a high-inflation, high-interest rate phase, Cedar Park is expecting to have a lot more developments in the future.
The mixed-use development project is currently in the re-zoning application phase. It will go to the planning and zoning committee, then the city council for a vote. That is likely to happen sometime in February. After that, the developers will work with the city to get started on the project.
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