By Braden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
New Fort Worth H-E-B will be near Walsh development. What to know about the area.
A new H-E-B is coming to a huge far west Fort Worth development. The Star-Telegram broke the news on July 8 that the grocer is planning its latest store at the corner of FM 3325 and the I-20 Service Road. Construction is set to begin this October and finish in December 2026. This new store will be a few miles from the residential section of Walsh, a massive development built on a former cattle ranch. Here’s what to know about the development.
What is the Walsh development?
The Walsh development began as an idea from the late F. Howard Walsh, a Fort Worth oilman and philanthropist who died in 1998.
With his wife Mary, the Walshes owned a 7,200-acre ranch in west Fort Worth about 16 miles west of downtown. As early as the 1970s, Walsh planted seeds for future development on the ranch as construction on Interstate 20 was being planned, according to the development’s website. In May 2001, Walsh Ranch began meeting with land planners to potentially develop the area. The master plan for the development was said to include a “mixture of everything,” including a mix of office, residential and commercial unites, according to previous Star-Telegram coverage.
“It’s such a big piece of acreage,” Walsh Holdings president Malcolm Louden said at the time. “We don’t know what it’s going to be. It’s an ongoing process and one that can change over the years.”
In January 2002, a concept of the proposed Walsh Ranch development (see above) was presented to the city’s plan commission. More than a year later in April 2003, the Fort Worth City Council approved the development to move forward, according to previous Star-Telegram coverage. In February 2015, Dallas-based Republican Property Group was selected as developer for the development. In April 2017, nearly 16 years since conversations first began, Walsh officially opened as its first homeowners moved in.
How many homes are in Walsh?
Currently, 1,700 acres out of the total 7,200 are in development at Walsh. Walsh is located in both Tarrant and Parker counties, and within the Fort Worth city limits. Children who live in Walsh go to Aledo ISD schools, since the development is in the district.
About 1,500 homes have been built in Walsh, and the 7,200-acre property could have up to 4,000 homes and 50,000 residents when fully built out. Commercial development in the area has historically lagged behind residential construction, though that’s starting to change. The University of Texas at Arlington broke ground on a new campus at the intersection of I-20 and I-30 in Parker County in April. Slated to open in 2028, the campus is expected to serve at least 10,000 students. Worthington Bank plans to build an eight-story tower and new headquarters at the corner of Walsh Ranch Parkway and I-30.
Link to Fort Worth Star-Telegram article here.
