Council members also unanimously approved waiving town fees in the amount of $495,000 for the development and a reimbursement grant of $300,000 to Colo Development Partners for Argyle Marketplace. The grant will be given to the developer after a building permit is acquired, Town Manager Mike Sims said.
The development could generate $280,000 a year in sales taxes, assuming 40% of the development will be retail businesses, he said.
“That’s a part of how the [Municipal Development District] looks at [if this] is worth putting the investment toward,” Sims said.
The overview
The plan for Argyle Marketplace involves tearing down two existing buildings—which currently house Argyle Party and Gifts and Holtman Designworks—relocating what used to house 407 Nutrition, and developing three retail and office buildings, per town documents.
The updated site plan approved by council includes a road connecting the development to the town-owned land where the Argyle Nature Trail will be located, Sims said. That land has always had an extension to Cook Street, and the town plans to use it as a road connecting Cook Street to the proposed Argyle Marketplace development.
The development will not connect to the Little Joe’s Farmstead property as originally proposed, Sims said.
The site plan also removed many of the variances originally requested, leaving two variance requests. One variance request is to keep the parking that already exists along US 377, Sims said. The other is to have one loading zone instead of the two required by town standards.
The details
The site plan has three buildings for retail or office use, according to town documents. The building along US 377 is proposed to be 13,600 square feet, and the two buildings proposed for the back of the property are nearly 5,000 square feet each, per town documents.
The development will have 91 parking spaces as well as a shared parking agreement with the professional depot building adjacent to the development, creating a total of 160 parking spaces, Sims said. Nine parking spaces will be dedicated to the Argyle Nature Trail.
The landscaping plan will match town standards and shows the removal of 11 trees on the site to be replaced, per town documents.
The development will also have a space for the Argyle Farmers Market with lighting provided, Sims said.
“The very first thing that happened [during] discussion at the [Municipal Development District meeting] was to talk about the benefit of this redevelopment for the farmers market,” Sims said.
The development will also supply a bathroom for the Argyle Nature Trail and farmers market, per town documents.
The discussion
During the public hearing, many Argyle residents and business owners spoke in support of the redevelopment.
Emily Holt, the owner of Argyle Party and Gifts, said Colo Development Partners helped her find a new space for the business. The building she is currently in has plumbing and flooding issues, as well as exterior needs that would take a fair amount of money to repair, she said.
“If you want this town to be something to be proud of five years from now, this property should be the next one to improve, given the state of the buildings,” Holt said.
Jacob Fuller, president of Cadre Architecture, said this development could be an opportunity for small businesses to be a part of the community.
“I hope that you’ll consider tonight the opportunity for small business owners like myself to have a place to go and do commerce,” he said. “I know that’s what you guys are trying to build, and I think a development like this would serve us well.”
Some residents had concerns that the development was not pedestrian-focused or that it would not support Little Joe’s Farmstead.
A Northlake resident with a son who attends Argyle Christian Academy, located behind Little Joe's Farmstead, said he didn't think this site plan was pedestrian-focused, which Sims said was a goal for the development. The resident suggested that the town take the plan back to the planning and zoning commission to make it a friendly place for the farmers market.
Little Joe’s Farmstead’s owner, Jim Reid, said he had originally planned to develop the property, but took his plans to Colo Development Partners because of the expenses associated with it. He said that Little Joe’s Farmstead needs more parking and asked the council to consider allowing parking along US 377.
Sims said that a parking agreement between Little Joe’s Farmstead and the Marsden tract can be arranged between the two property owners.
“We simply ask that the massive project—and the cost associated with such—deserves more time, more transparency [and] more communication input from the community,” Reid said.
Looking ahead
Construction is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2026, according to a representative from Colo Development Partners.
