Though it's in the very early stages, Cedar Park is considering becoming the latest Texas city to get a Trader Joe’s grocery store.

During the Dec. 12 Cedar Park City Council meeting, First Cedar Park Capital Funding filed a future land use permit petition for an approximately 8-acre site on the southwest corner of East Whitestone Blvd. and Arrow Point Drive. The FLUP, if approved, will rezone the plot from Local Office/Retail/Commercial to Regional Office/Retail/Commercial, which will allow the construction of a mixed-use retail and business center. The filing proposes five buildings be constructed at the site, including a 13,500 square foot Trader Joe’s to anchor the development and four additional buildings to be used for office, storage and warehouse space, totaling about 50,000 square feet.

Waeltz & Prete, Inc., a Round Rock-based engineering company developing the project, filed a letter of support for the development.

"The proposed project will significantly contribute to the City's long-term economic well-being by providing commercial development that enhances the tax base and creates job opportunities," the letter states. "The introduction of a national grocery store and additional retail and office spaces will attract new businesses to the area, fostering economic growth and diversification."

The project is in its preliminary stages, and it could be a few weeks before any council action is taken. The petition was presented as a regular agenda (non-consent) item, meaning the council did not take action on the FLUP at the Dec. 12 meeting. The council will discuss the proposition with city staff before deciding whether to add the petition to the consent agenda. The city has yet to release the agenda for their regular meeting on Jan. 9, so it is not certain when the FLUP petition will be added to the consent agenda or if it will be approved.

Currently there are only 21 Trader Joe’s stores in Texas, three of which are in the Austin area.

Also of note

Trader Joe’s is known for inspiring loyalty from its patrons, and some citizens have been lobbying for the store to come to Cedar Park for years. Christina Legrande, a Cedar Park-area real estate agent with Epique Realty, started a Facebook group in 2015 called “Bring Trader Joe’s to Cedar Park, TX.” The group now has nearly 2,000 members and has been active in sharing news and petitions to bring the California-based grocery chain to Cedar Park.

Legrand said she’s been a Trader Joe’s fan for years, but when her husband was transferred to Austin from North Carolina, the chain didn’t have any Austin stores at the time.

“They eventually opened some stores in Bee Cave and the Arboretum, but it was always a commute,” Legrand said. “I figure [Cedar Park] is the perfect demographic for a new store, and hopefully it’ll help reduce the lines at some of the other stores.”