A more than 245-acre retail and industrial development is coming to Mesquite following approval of the project by the city council.

The property, located north of Interstate 20 near Lawson Road, will be largely made up of industrial buildings but will also include a 187K SF shopping center, Mesquite Director of Planning and Development Services Jeff Armstrong said at the Aug. 1 meeting.

The industrial uses could range from cold storage to distribution and manufacturing to data centers, 42 Real Estate Development Analyst Sergio Izquierdo said. The retail side of the project will include a big-box anchor as well as several smaller retailers, he said.

Residents and members of council said they hoped the developers would consider a grocery store as the anchor tenant, an amenity the area currently lacks. Tenants have yet to be secured for either side of the development, Izquierdo said.

“It is a rural area that is developing, but if we don't have a good user, we could see food insecurity issues,” Council Member Jeff Casper said. “If you’re able to develop with a grocer … that would be awesome.”

The developers have agreed to make improvements to McKenzie and Lawson roads, which council members called a win for taxpayers who would otherwise have to foot the bill. In response to residents who would have liked to see the property remain as green space, council said the property, which is entitled for industrial use, was inevitably going to be built on at some point.

“Green is nice, it just doesn’t pay taxes,” Council Member Debbie Anderson said. “This developer has the right approach to work with the city to make this a good, viable development.”

The developers plan to break ground in early 2024, according to the Dallas Morning News.