Sleepy Texas town uplifted - and divided - by a real estate boom
A trail in Castroville Regional Park is shown. (Priscilla Aguirre, MySA.com)
Since the start of the new year, a wave of new developments aimed at drawing more people to the San Antonio area's Far Westside has reached what's known as the "Little Alsace" of Texas, a quiet town of just over 3,000 residents. But Castroville's expansion hasn't unfolded without its fair share of challenges, including concerns about disrupting the city's character and inflation-related challenges on behalf of at least one real estate firm.
With all the changes, MySA compiled the latest developments and major milestone's involved with Castroville's growth.
A poster of retailers coming to the Alsatian Oaks area is shown in Castroville, Texas, on April 29, 2025. (Melanie Love Salazar/MySA)
What shopping center is coming to Castroville?
Two retail centers are currently headed for the area: Alsatian Oaks and Town East Crossing. Both have different estimated completion dates, which are subject to change.
What's the latest update on Alsatian Oaks?
This shopping hub will be located off Highway 90 and FM 471 and includes 83 acres of retail development and 420 acres of proposed residential lots inside a newly built master-planned community, Alsatian Oaks. It will be the town's first major retail center.
Currently, the plaza plans to include an Ulta Beauty, Ross Dress for Less, Burlington, TJ Maxx, Five Below, Rack Room Shoes, James Avery, and Bath and Body Works.
A promotional billboard for Alsatian Oaks is shown in Castroville, Texas, on May 15, 2025. (Courtesy of Madelynn Salazar)
Construction on phase one of the project, which includes about 120,000 square feet for the national brands listed above (except the James Avery) is expected to be complete by December 2026, according to Merit CRE, the real estate firm working on the development. These shops are expected to open in spring 2027, according to the company.
The second phase sits on roughly 20 acres of space and includes the build of Portillo's, another fast food restaurant, James Avery and other tenants whose names can't be revealed yet. Construction on these businesses is expected to be complete in spring 2027 and the shops are estimated to open that summer.
The plan also includes 32 acres on the south side of Highway 90, according to the real estate firm. Little can be confirmed about this area for now, as discussion with tenants is ongoing, a company spokesperson tells MySA.
Here's what the site is looking like as of Wednesday, June 25:
A section of Alsatian Oaks is shown on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Castroville, Texas. (Melanie Love Salazar/MySA)
A section of Alsatian Oaks is shown on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Castroville, Texas. (Melanie Love Salazar/MySA)
A section of Alsatian Oaks is shown on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Castroville, Texas. (Melanie Love Salazar/MySA)
A section of the Alsatian Oaks residential community is shown on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Castroville, Texas. (Melanie Love Salazar/MySA)
What's new with Town East Crossing?
Town East Crossing is set to be located at 1762 U.S. Highway 90 East, just a short drive from Alsatian Oaks. Photos at the site show construction on one section of the plaza is nearing completion. This week, the name of one tenant was confirmed for the space.
Phase one of the project involves the development of 10,000 square feet of retail space along Highway 90. The agency representing the developer, Foresite Commercial Real Estate (CRE), reports that it's still on track to be complete by next month. The hub is slated to include local businesses, though their names or services have not been confirmed.
The second phase includes a 10,000-square-foot standalone daycare facility, announced today by a company spokesperson today as Mi Casa Child Center. According to the center's website, it provides care for children from 6 week olds up to 12 years of age. The family-owned business has five other locations across San Antonio.
Phase three of the project involves plans for two 10,000-square-foot retail buildings fronting FM 471, with access from both Highway 90 and FM 471. These buildings are expected to be delivered by the end of quarter one of 2026 (sometime between January and March).
Here's what the site is looking like as of Wednesday, June 25:
The east side of Town East Crossing is shown on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Melanie Love Salazar/MySA)
The front of Town East Crossing is shown on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Melanie Love Salazar/MySA)
Town East Crossing is shown on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Melanie Love Salazar/MySA)
What shakeups have occurred during the development process?
Since word spread of the new retail centers, tensions began to rise over how the coming of big-name brands to Castroville would impact its "small town charm."
On Facebook, one resident suggested there would soon be "no farm land left" and recalled how scenic the town used to be, before its residential growth. Another wrote that "Potranco is coming" to the town, likely referring to the exponential growth of businesses and traffic experienced on that road.
Castroville City Administrators issued a statement last month regarding the pushback, telling MySA they were aware of some of the resident's opposition to the centers.
Another challenge faced by at least one real estate firm, Merit CRE, is an increase in construction pricing due to a new policy issued under the Trump administration.
Will Collins, chief executive officer at Merit CRE tells MySA that completion date for phase one of Alsatian Oaks was forced to be pushed back about three months because of the price spike, which he says can be caused by several factors.
"We've been experiencing pretty significant inflation since COVID and really since all the stimulus money was pumped back into the economy," Collins said. "And this is speculation because it's case by case basis...But we've seen steel prices increase, specifically, our steel suppliers have told us, because of the tariffs."
On June 3, the Trump administration increased the tariff from 25% to 50% on steel and aluminum imports, the White House website reports. It went into effect the following day.
Collins added that the price of concrete has also increased, but speculates that is due to supply and demand, not the tariffs.
"Not all tenants are willing or can afford to pay new construction rent rates," Collins said. "We moved down the course of negotiating a lease, which takes several months. Over the course of that time, these construction prices increased considerably...We needed a higher rent rate in order to justify that development. So that has delayed it."
