HILLSBORO, Texas (KXXV) — Hillsboro Outlet Mall was demolished a little more than a year ago. Now, people traveling on 1-35 can see signs for new retailers and other businesses opening soon.
- Chili's is set to open on May 18th
- Waffle House is set to open by the end of the summer
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
"Chili’s is set to open May 18th, which is its grand opening, and we’re really excited about that," said Jessica Trew, executive director for the Economic Development Corporation for the city of Hillsboro.
But here's the big news...
Kay and Billy Watson are getting closer to experiencing a variety of new restaurants in Hillsboro. It’s been about a year since the outlet mall was demolished to create more room for bigger retailers.
With signs spotted off of I-35, residents like the Watsons are happy to support the big names opening soon.
“We know our grandson is excited for Chick-fil-A; we’ve been watching it," said Kay Watson, a local resident.
Even though they’ve been waiting a while, it can be a process to get a big retailer to come to Hillsboro, but Kay said she’s happy they’ll be close by.
“Either way we go, it’s about 30 mins to get to either Burleson or to Waco, but it’s just nice to have it closer. You’re 10 mins from a restaurant…where you’re 30 mins the other way, so it will be good," said Kay.
But I wanted to know more about the process for getting a big retailer into our community and how long it can take.
Jesscia Trew, the executive director of the Economic Development Corporation, said every project is different and different factors come into play.
“It’s going to depend on whether there’s already a building built that they're just coming in and outfitting various something from the ground up. It’s going to depend on their internal levels of oversight. Some corporations have a lot more steps in the process of approval than others," said Trew.
She also said getting a big name to the city is a team effort between the city, the developer, and third-party consultants.
“But a lot of it, when it comes to retail, is just about numbers and demographics, so really the biggest thing that the city is doing right now is it’s housing developments because the more people that are here, the more our numbers prove up that a restaurant or retailer can be successful here," said Trew.
As for Kay, she’s already thinking of ways retailers can benefit everyone.
“I will be good to have income for the students or anyone that needs a job," said Kay.
