A ribbon cutting held Friday marked the grand opening of the Grand Parkway Marketplace, and a free event with entertainment, food trucks and family-friendly activities will be open to the public from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday.

The 75-acre development is located where the Grand Parkway and Kuykendahl Road meet. A 126,000-square-foot Target store anchors the shopping center, which also includes Michaels, Burlington, DSW, Famous Footwear and other national retailers. Currently, 85 percent of the center is leased, said Rob Nadler, regional president of Kimco Realty—the real estate firm developing the property.

Kimco Realty CEO Connor Flynn said the community will benefit from having more places to shop, from the tax revenue the businesses will generate and from the jobs created. He said a partnership with the community was key for the project to come together.

Myeshi Briley, president of the Spring-Klein Chamber of Commerce, said the center will spur job growth and said both large and small stores are important to the economy.

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle also attended the ribbon cutting ceremony. Cagle said the desire and vision for growth helps to make Texas special, and those qualities make projects such as the Grand Parkway Marketplace possible.

Cagle said it took the state and county governments working together for the center to become a reality—a sentiment which Bettencourt echoed.

“We try to work with all levels of government to make things happen,” Bettencourt said.