Steel beams quickly climb up the Interstate 35 corridor, standing out as San Marcos residents watch the city’s newest grocery store take shape. The scale and pace of construction hint at the big changes coming to the area, although details are still part of what’s expected.
Construction on the 114,000-square-foot third HEB is in full swing on McCarty Lane adjacent to the San Marcos Outlets. HEB currently doesn’t have any updates to share since it broke ground last fall, but the massive framework shows the company is moving quickly, promising hundreds of new jobs and a full-service shopping experience when it opens in late 2026.
The store will feature the city’s first true Texas barbecue restaurant, a pharmacy drive-thru, curbside pickup, home delivery, fresh tortillas, a bakery, a meat and seafood market, a Sushiya sushi bar and Meal Simple prepared food options. A gas station, car wash and HEB Fresh Bites convenience store are also planned on site.
City and HEB officials officially broke ground on November 4, 2025, on San Marcos’ third HEB location along I-35 and McCarty Lane. The store is expected to open in late 2026. (Nicholas Hernandez/MySA)
“This is our first San Marcos store on the east side of the highway, so it really is a perfect location for us,” Heidi Post, HEB senior director of public affairs for Central Texas, said at last fall’s groundbreaking ceremony.
The new store, expected to open in late 2026, will feature the city’s first True Texas BBQ restaurant, a full-service pharmacy drive-thru, curbside pickup, home delivery, fresh tortillas, baked goods, a meat and seafood market, a Sushiya sushi bar and the popular Meal Simple prepared foods section. A gas station, car wash and HEB Fresh Bites convenience store are also planned on site.
San Marcos residents have been watching the construction process with anticipation. The building’s high walls and steel frame are a reminder of the city’s retail growth and the area’s rapid residential expansion along the I-35 corridor that connects Austin and San Antonio.
As of September 26, 2025, HEB is breaking ground on its third store in San Marcos, where heavy equipment will shape the grocery store of the future. (Nicolas Hernandez/MySA)
In addition to the city’s third HEB, recent state filings show plans to build a nearly 6,000-square-foot HEB convenience store with a gas station and car wash at 3375 South IH 35, with construction expected to begin this July and be completed in early 2027. HEB has not yet confirmed whether the location will become a standard store or part of its Fresh Bites brand.
Currently, the newest HEB is the city’s most high-profile retail project, and as San Marcos continues to expand, this rising structure promises to create hundreds of new jobs and a full-service shopping experience.
Find it: 1074 E. McCarty Lane, San Marcos, TX 78666
This article was originally published on Massive HEB construction near booming college town in Texas draws attention.
