Chessie Zimmerman, a representative of development company Stratus Properties Inc., told Magnolia City Council members at the March 8 meeting that construction has started on the first two retail buildings within Magnolia Place in addition to H-E-B.
Magnolia Place is a mixed-use development that Stratus is developing at Spur 149 and FM 1488 anchored by H-E-B, Community Impact Newspaper previously reported.
In addition, Stratus signed a contract for one of the pad sites to a bank and is in contract negotiations with a restaurant, a home services user and an automotive user for the other three pad sites, Zimmerman said during the meeting. This leaves one pad site for another business.
She said Stratus has leased all but one space in the retail building that will be next to H-E-B. That building will have two restaurants, a coffee shop, a hair salon, a dentist office and Twin Liquors. Community Impact Newspaper previously confirmed tenants will include Texas Hair Team, Twin Liquors and Wasabi Asian Bistro.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation indicates a Chase bank branch is planned for the intersection of Spur 149 and FM 1488, Community Impact Newspaper previously reported.
“[There are] some good neighborhood commercial uses going in there,” Zimmerman said.
Council Member Brenda Hoppe asked Zimmerman if H-E-B has told Stratus which restaurant specialty the store will have. Zimmerman said H-E-B has not shared details yet, though most likely it will not be barbecue because the other Magnolia H-E-B further down FM 1488 includes True Texas BBQ.
Zimmerman said the biggest challenge to H-E-B construction is getting the fuel station installed because of the rainy winter. She said the public infrastructure side of the project is about 45 days away from completion.
Magnolia Place will also include residential space. Zimmerman said on the south side of the project, there are 27 acres, which will yield 80-90 single-family homes. The middle area of the project has been set aside for multifamily for Stratus to self-develop, and a smaller tract of land on the side will also be multifamily and have a pond.
“This has been the hardest project I have ever worked on, ... and the problems are not here [with the city]; they’re out there [at the site],” she said, referencing delays caused by the weather and supply chain issues.
