No corridor in North Texas is going to change more than I-35W through southern Denton County.
But it might take a bit longer than expected.
The 16-mile stretch of interstate from the Hwy 114 interchange to the I-35E/W split remains largely undeveloped; ranchland dominates the scenery throughout this stretch, a striking contrast to the sprawling Dallas-Fort Worth suburbia to the north, east and south. But as new subdivisions have popped up in nearby Northlake, Flower Mound and Argyle, the I-35W corridor has become the obvious location for the next wave of development in the Metroplex.
AllianceTexas developer Hillwood has big plans for the area. Harvest and Pecan Square are on track to have about 7,000 homes between them, and the area’s first grocery store, a Tom Thumb, is under construction at Harvest Town Center, located on the northwest corner of FM 407 and I-35W. Hillwood also owns the tiny town of Corral City across the street from Harvest Town Center.
Hillwood’s 3,200-acre Landmark development (formerly known as Hunter Ranch) will bring 6,000 homes, 3,000 multifamily units and 5 million square feet of commercial/mixed-use space. The $10 billion development sprawls across both sides of I-35W from Robson Ranch Road to north of FM 2449 in southwest Denton. About one-third of the land will be preserved as parks and green space, including Pilot Knob. The first phase, about 750 homes, will break ground this fall, and the first residents will move in next summer.
“For more than three decades, Hillwood has proudly invested in the sustained growth and vitality of the Alliance/I-35W corridor,” said Fred Balda, President of Hillwood Communities. “The thoughtful design and careful planning put into Landmark continues to build on the quality and excellence of Harvest and Pecan Square. Our commitment to creating vibrant and lasting communities will bring new housing and business opportunities to Denton for generations to come.”
Landmark will also be home to one of DFW’s most desired grocery store chains, H-E-B, which is planning to open a store on the northwest corner of Robson Ranch Road and I-35W.
The town of Argyle was hoping to lure H-E-B to the 120-acre Heritage Tract development, located directly across Robson Ranch Road from Landmark. Some residents and town leaders were disappointed that H-E-B chose the Denton side, but there are reasons for optimism. In March, the Argyle Town Council approved a zoning change for Heritage with plans for an unnamed grocer, a Baylor Scott & White medical facility and much more retail space.
Significant growth in the works on the east side of I-35W as well. A large mixed-use development is in the works for the 240-acre Heath Tract, located on the northeast corner of I-35W and FM 407. Walmart was considering building a new supercenter there, but that interest was terminated in 2023. Argyle Mayor Ron Schmidt said the town is expecting the developer to submit a planned development request in the coming months.
Additionally, the 200-acre Monarch development, located on the east side of I-35W between Canyon Falls and Avalon at Argyle, will have 278 townhomes and 472,000 square feet of big box retail buildings. When the Flower Mound Town Council approved the development in January, Councilman Adam Schiestel called it “the best commercial space we have,” as it is the only part of town located along a major highway.
All of these residential, commercial and mixed-use developments are attracting new businesses, in and around them. Residents warmly greeted the new Chick-Fil-A and McDonald’s restaurants last year at Harvest Town Center. Just across I-35W on FM 407, more businesses are open or coming, including Taco Bell, a car wash and the Shops at Gateway shopping center, including a Bahama Buck’s, barber shop, credit union and more.
The development of this corridor hinges on the Texas Department of Transportation’s plans to expand I-35W throughout the entire 16-mile stretch. The four-lane highway will be expanded to six lanes, with two-lane frontage roads on both sides, all the way from the I-35E/W split to Dale Earnhardt Way. The extra capacity will be crucial to handling the additional traffic caused by the tens of thousands of residents moving to the area, and the frontage roads will make much more commercial development possible.
Back in 2019, TxDOT hosted a public input meeting in Argyle to share its long-term plans for the project. At that time, the state was expecting construction to begin on the frontage roads in 2025. That first phase was fully funded then.
But a lot has changed in the last six years.
Tila Grant, a TxDOT spokesperson, said there are still several steps left to complete before the project can begin: right-of-way acquisitions, utility relocations and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approvals. But even more importantly, the project is no longer funded and tabled indefinitely.
“Once funding is identified, a schedule can be developed,” Grant said.
Other TxDOT plans to expand and improve FM 407 and FM 1171 in the area are also delayed/behind the schedules announced years ago. Northlake Mayor Brian Montini said he and Denton County leaders were disappointed to hear of these delays.
“This (I-35W) project would ultimately be the best one to happen right now as it would completely rebuild all interchanges at FM 1171, FM 407 and Robson Ranch Road to their ultimate version,” Montini wrote in a recent column for The Cross Timbers Gazette. “This delay is due to TxDOT reprioritizing projects in West Texas over our fast-growing area.”
It’s unclear how long the delays will be or how they will impact the fast-developing I-35W corridor; those residential and commercial developments are already underway. For now, local residents can expect more amenities, more shopping options and more traffic in the area as the landscape changes over the next few decades.
