The Home Depot is moving forward with its first store in San Marcos, committing to a new ground-up retail project in a growing corridor of the city. Plans call for a $13 million development on the northeast side of the intersection of I-35 North Frontage Road and McCarty Road, an area described as rapidly developing and located near Tanger Outlets San Marcos.
The planned store will be positioned within a cluster of established and incoming retailers. The I-35 and McCarty Road intersection has already attracted other large-format users, including a Rooms To Go furniture store and the city’s third H-E-B grocery store, signaling ongoing expansion of the area’s retail node.
Project documents indicate that the main Home Depot building is expected to encompass approximately 107,797 square feet. In addition, the site plan includes a 28,120-square-foot garden center. Together, these components will bring the overall footprint of the new location to nearly 136,000 square feet, reinforcing the project’s role as a significant big-box addition to the corridor.
Construction on the new Home Depot is anticipated to start in September 2026. The project timeline currently targets an August 2027 completion, outlining an approximately 11-month development and construction window from groundbreaking to delivery.
San Marcos has been experiencing steady growth in housing, retail, and infrastructure, with much of that activity occurring along the I-35 corridor where the new store is planned. The presence of Tanger Outlets San Marcos and other large-format retailers has helped establish the area as a regional shopping destination, and the new Home Depot will further deepen the mix of home improvement and general merchandise options.
The city is also home to Texas State University, which has a student population of 44,000. The university is described as the third largest in the state, behind Texas A&M and the University of Texas. This sizable student and university-related population has contributed to ongoing demand for new housing and services, supporting broader expansion of the local retail and infrastructure base along I-35.
By selecting a site adjacent to major retailers and near an established outlet center, The Home Depot is positioning its first San Marcos location to serve both local residents and regional shoppers who already frequent this section of the corridor. The project’s scale, timeline, and placement within a fast-growing retail cluster highlight how the I-35 frontage continues to attract large-format users seeking to tap into the city’s expanding consumer and institutional base.
