SEGUIN, Texas – Seguin is one of the fastest growing cities in the South Central Texas area, and that growth is not expected to slow down anytime soon.
Josh Schneuker, Seguin’s executive director of economic development, said in an effort to keep up with demand, the city is planning for more retail and commercial developments.
“Growth here has absolutely been crazy,” said Schneuker. “We just had two new retail projects break ground that will deliver about 15,000 square feet of new retail space.”
That project is called Seguin West Marketplace and will serve the busy Highway 46 and Interstate 10 area.
The marketplace is home to several new retail developments such as DaVita, Burger King, Chicken Express. A Quality Urgent Care and Domino’s Pizza will anchor the project as well.
Across town, Seguin Crossroads Shopping Center is getting a major makeover after a Houston investment group bought the 126,000-square foot property.
“We had an investor and development group out of Houston purchase an existing shopping center not long ago, and they’re in the process of moving that towards a pretty substantial renovation and getting some new retail tenants in there,” said Schneuker.
A population boom in Seguin has spurred this economic growth. Schneuker said the city’s current population is around 30,000 and growing everyday.
“The last census count, the city grew about 17 percent from 2010 to 2020,” said Schneuker. “Based off what we’re seeing in terms of the amount of permits that we’re issuing for for residential development, we expect that will be at about 50,000 in population by 2035.”
Schneuker added there are about 25 new residential subdivisions being built within city limits.
“We’ve got about 12,000 residential units that are either tied to one of those developments that are under construction or tied to another development,” said Schneuker. “We’re adding people. We’re adding rooftops. We’ve been adding new jobs and new businesses and manufacturing. We’re starting to see the retail.”
Seguin resident Aaron Woods recently built a home in a new subdivision after moving from Louisiana to Texas for work.
“In the past year, they built over 100 houses and the 10-year plan is 1,500 houses. They plan on selling every one of them,” said Woods.
Woods said Seguin’s location is also ideal for his job southeast of San Antonio.
“This is like one of the closest areas to be in. it’s one of the nicest areas to be to travel back and forth,” said Woods.
However, city officials understand if current residents and business owners may be worried if it’s too much too fast.
“I think there’s always concerns with growth, so it’s making sure our folks understand the opportunities that come with growth. But at the same time, we also have to make sure that we are growing responsibly,” said Schneuker.
“That comes with making sure we’re planning ahead, making investments in infrastructure, ensuring that we have water, sewer and roads to to handle all this growth,” said Schneuker.
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