Steel beams are swiftly climbing along the I-35 corridor, turning heads as San Marcos residents watch the city's newest grocery store take shape. The scale and speed of construction hint at big changes coming to the area, though details remain part of the anticipation.

Construction on the 114,000-square-foot third H-E-B is in full swing just off McCarty Lane, near the San Marcos Outlets. H-E-B did not have any updates to share at this time since last fall's groundbreaking, but the massive frame makes clear 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 BBQ 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 fuel station, car wash and H-E-B Fresh Bites convenience store are also planned on-site.

"This is our first San Marcos store on the east side of the highway, so it really just all came together to be a perfect spot for us," H-E-B Senior Director of Public Affairs for Central Texas Heidi Post said during the groundbreaking ceremony last fall.

The new store, slated 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 a popular Meal Simple prepared-food section. A fuel station, car wash, andย H-E-B Fresh Bites convenience store are also planned on-site.

San Marcos residents have been watching the construction with anticipation. The structure's rising walls and steel framework serve as a reminder of both the city's retail growth and the area's rapid residential expansion along the I-35 corridor connecting Austin and San Antonio.

In addition to the city's third H-E-B, recent state filings show a nearly 6,000-square-foot H-E-B convenience store with a fuel station and car wash is also planned at 3375 South I-H 35, with construction expected to begin this July and wrap in early 2027. H-E-B has not confirmed whether this site will be a standard store or part of its Fresh Bites brand.

For now, the newest H-E-B is the city's most visible retail project, a rising structure promising hundreds of new jobs and a full-service shopping experience as San Marcos continues to expand.

Find it: 1074 E. McCarty Lane, San Marcos, TX 78666

This article originally published at Massive H-E-B construction turns heads near thriving Texas college town.