Georgetown Edition | May 2026

Retail follows rooftops From the cover

SANTA RITA RANCH CENTER

The intersection of Hwy. 29 and Ronald Reagan Boulevard has seen an inux of commercial growth. New retailers bring options to residents

Residential developments

Retail/restaurant Coming soon

Shopping center

1 7 Brew Coee 2 Black Rock Coee Bar 3 Chase 4 Chick- l-A

13 Jiy Lube 14 Longhorn Steakhouse 15 Lowe’s

Liberty Hill

16 McDonald’s 17 Olive Garden 18 PetSmart 19 Ross 20 Walmart 21 Wells Fargo 22 Whataburger

5 Chili’s 6 Chuy’s 7 Crave 8 Discount Tire 9 First Watch 10 Food Box 11 Handel’s 12A H-E-B 12B H-E-B gas

Georgetown

7 9

BAR W MARKETPLACE

LEANDER TECH PARK

Leander

SOURCES: JLL, CITY OF LEANDER, LOOPNET, RESOLUT RECOMMUNITY IMPACT NOTE: LIST OF RETAIL OPTIONS IS NOT COMPREHENSIVE

12A

GATEWAY 29

The big picture

12B

At the northwest corner of the Hwy. 29 and Ronald Reagan Boulevard intersection, a Walmart-anchored development is under construction. At the nearby intersection of Hwy. 29 and US 183, Liberty Hill’s rst Target is under construction and Costco recently opened. With the introduction of more commercial development, the region is transitioning from a series of remote neighborhoods into a self- sustaining urban hub as infrastructure and retail catch up to population growth, Kurtz said.

The Hwy. 29 and Ronald Reagan corridor—where the cities of Liberty Hill, Leander and Georgetown meet—has seen elevated housing growth in the last few years. The wave of new construction has helped push the housing inventory higher, and real estate agents in the area say the current market is favorable to buyers. More recently, a surge in commercial projects aims to provide amenities and balance the local tax burden, said Christian Kurtz, Liberty Hill Economic Development Corp. director.

THE VILLAGE AT BAR W RANCH

MAP NOT TO SCALE N

A closer look

However, the area is still seeing new housing growth with Perry Homes, Pulte Homes, High- land Homes, Regency and Lennar all building in multiple new neighborhoods. And, with approximately 5,000 homes built, the Santa Rita Ranch development in Liberty Hill’s extraterritorial jurisdiction is still less than 50% built out, according to its website. RCLCO Real Estate Consulting ranked the development as the No. 1 master-planned community in Austin for new home sales in 2025, with 483 sales from various builders last year.

within one community, Kurtz said. For the surrounding cities, this commercial boom is an economic tool that local municipalities are actively prioritizing, Kurtz said. Relying solely on residential growth places a higher tax burden on homeowners to fund necessary infrastructure, like roads, Kurtz said. The commercial inux is “catching up” to the population already established there, local real estate agent Laura Britt said. She said its addition is relieving a long-standing lack of local restaurants and shopping rather than acting as the primary draw for new residents.

Major retailers, such as HEB, Costco and Walmart, will provide a diversity of grocery options closer to homeowners in the area. And in many cases, they anchor larger developments oering new dining and retail options. These new businesses allow residents to stay in their city, instead of traveling 30 minutes or more to eat or shop, said Adam Overhauser with Keller Williams Realty. Kurtz said the new development allows the city of Liberty Hill to diversify its economy and share the tax burden. It also makes it easier to “live, work, play”

COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM