What’s Coming to Northlake, TX: A 2026 Development Update
Tom Thumb, H‑E‑B at Landmark, FM 407 improvements, Toll Brothers, and the projects reshaping one of North Texas’s fastest-growing corridors.
If you drove through the Argyle–Northlake corridor five years ago, you saw open pasture, a few ranch gates, and the occasional pickup headed north toward Denton. Today, the stretch of I-35W from FM 407 up to Robson Ranch Road is the commercial, residential, and infrastructure anchor of one of the fastest-growing corridors in Texas — and the pace of change is accelerating.
Northlake, Argyle, and the surrounding communities have crossed the threshold from emerging market to arrived market. Major retailers are staking their claims. A mega-scale master-planned community is breaking ground. Road improvements are underway. And luxury residential builders are adding new communities faster than the land can be priced. Here is what’s happening in the corridor in 2026, what it means for buyers and sellers, and why the window to acquire acreage here continues to narrow every quarter.
Tom Thumb Opens at Harvest Town Center
The biggest retail milestone of the spring has already happened. On March 6, 2026, Tom Thumb officially opened its new 63,000-square-foot store at 1046 Market Way in Argyle — anchoring Harvest Town Center at the northwest corner of I-35W and FM 407. This is a full-service flagship location with a bakery, deli, meat and seafood counter, floral department, in-store Starbucks, pharmacy with a drive-thru lane, and more than 1,000 locally sourced products. It is the third of four new Tom Thumb stores opening in North Texas within a six-month window, and the largest of them.
The significance goes beyond convenience. For years, residents of Hillwood’s two massive master-planned communities in the immediate trade area — Harvest in Argyle (4,000 homes) and Pecan Square in Northlake (3,100 homes) have been making 15- to 20-minute drives for full grocery runs. Over 7,000 households will now have a flagship grocery store within a few minutes of home. At the opening ceremony, Sally Aldridge of the Metroport Chamber of Commerce called it “a huge addition for not only Argyle but Northlake and the surrounding communities.”
For real estate, this matters because a full-service grocery anchor is one of the strongest signals of corridor maturity. Developers and retailers follow grocery. So do home values.
H‑E‑B at Hillwood’s Landmark Development
If Tom Thumb is the southern anchor of the corridor, H‑E‑B is about to become the northern one. Denton’s first H‑E‑B is currently under construction on a 20-plus-acre site at the northwest corner of I-35W and Robson Ranch Road — right on the border where Argyle, Northlake, and Denton meet. The store broke ground in fall 2025 and is expected to open in spring 2027.
Note the location carefully: technically this store sits within Denton city limits, but geographically it is closer to Argyle and Northlake than it is to downtown Denton or the University of North Texas campus (about 15 miles south). For residents of the Argyle–Northlake corridor, this H‑E‑B will be an everyday retail destination — particularly for buyers in Northlake, Argyle, Ponder, Justin, and the surrounding communities who want access to the grocer with one of the most loyal followings in Texas.
Argyle actively competed for this H‑E‑B. There was a parallel proposal across I-35W for a 150,000-square-foot H‑E‑B at the southwest corner of I-35W and Robson Ranch Road, paired with a Baylor Scott & White wellness campus on 124 acres on the Argyle side. H‑E‑B ultimately chose the Landmark site on the Denton side. But in hindsight, the corridor got the best of both worlds: Tom Thumb landed in Argyle first at Harvest Town Center, and now H‑E‑B is coming to the opposite end of the corridor, giving residents access to two major full-service grocery anchors within roughly 10 miles of each other — the hallmark of a mature luxury suburban market.
What Is Landmark by Hillwood?
The H‑E‑B is the retail anchor of Landmark, one of the most ambitious master-planned developments in North Texas. Landmark is a 3,200-acre, $10 billion mega-project being developed by Hillwood (the Perot family company) on the former Hunter Ranch, which the Perots originally acquired in 1987. The development sits along I-35W in southwest Denton, bordering Argyle, and is anchored by Pilot Knob — Denton’s most recognizable natural landmark, once used as a lookout by the Caddo tribe and as a hideout by outlaw Sam Bass.
Phase 1 of Landmark is already under construction at the corner of I-35W and Robson Ranch Road. It includes more than 700 single-family homes being built by nine of the region’s most prominent builders: American Legend Homes, Coventry Homes, David Weekley Homes, Drees Custom Homes, Highland Homes, M/I Homes, Perry Homes, Toll Brothers, and Tri Pointe Homes. Initial completion for Phase 1 is expected in 2026, aligned with the H‑E‑B opening.
At full build-out, Landmark is planned to include approximately 6,000 homes and 5 million square feet of mixed-use commercial and retail space. And here is what makes Landmark genuinely remarkable: 1,100 acres of the 3,200-acre property are earmarked for parks, trails, natural habitat, and a green ecosystem — one of the largest private land dedications of its kind in North Texas. This is not a conventional suburban subdivision. It is a long-term, carefully planned community that will reshape the northern edge of the Argyle–Northlake corridor for the next 30 years.
FM 407 and I-35W Road Improvements
Anyone who has sat at the light at FM 407 and I-35W during rush hour knows the pain. With residential growth outpacing road capacity, the intersection has been one of the most congested points in southern Denton County — and now that Tom Thumb and Harvest Town Center have turned that corner into a regional retail anchor, the county is finally making improvements.
On April 6, 2026, Denton County launched a $2 million “FM 407 micro breakout” project to add turn lanes, vehicle deflection walls, and drainage and pavement mark improvements at the I-35W interchange. Daytime lane closures ran April 6 through April 11, and overnight work began April 12 to place concrete barriers. Construction is expected to take approximately four months.
“We know this has been a difficult situation for residents who use this route and, though improvements to FM 407 are in our long-term plans, we needed to take action sooner than later.” — Dianne Edmondson, Denton County Precinct 4 Commissioner
Yes, there will be short-term inconvenience. Any buyer or resident using this route through the summer of 2026 should expect occasional lane shifts and slower travel times. But step back and look at what the project actually represents: Denton County is spending $2 million to improve an intersection because the growth in this corridor demanded it. Road infrastructure is one of the quietest but most important drivers of long-term property value, and when the county starts investing in your corridor, it means they are planning for it to keep growing. This is exactly the kind of news that savvy investors track closely.
Toll Brothers at Creek Meadows West
On the residential development side, Toll Brothers — one of the premier luxury home builders in the country — recently announced a new community at Creek Meadows West in Northlake. Toll Brothers’ entry into a market is always a strong signal. They don’t build where they aren’t confident in buyer demand, and they are adding Creek Meadows West to a pipeline that already includes active communities throughout the corridor. Notably, Toll Brothers is also one of the nine builders working at Landmark — meaning the same luxury builder is now committing to both ends of the corridor simultaneously.
For buyers evaluating new construction in Northlake, Toll Brothers brings national brand recognition, established floor plans, and a proven buyer experience. For the broader market, it adds another layer of confidence that luxury residential demand in this corridor is far from saturated.
Harvest House: Upscale Multifamily Arrives in Argyle ISD
One of the most underappreciated stories in the corridor right now is Harvest House — a new multifamily development bringing 259 upscale apartments and 90 townhomes with private yards to the Harvest community. Amenities include a resort-style pool, 24-hour fitness center, co-working spaces with private offices, dog park, EV charging stations, and a clubhouse with a coffee bar. First units are expected to be available in early 2026, with full project completion later in the year.
This matters for two reasons. First, Harvest House adds hundreds of new households to the immediate trade area around Tom Thumb — reinforcing the commercial anchor and pulling more retail, dining, and services into the surrounding blocks. Second, it represents the first luxury multifamily development within Argyle ISD, which consistently ranks in the top 1% of school districts in the state of Texas. That combination — walkable retail, a full-service grocery anchor, and top-rated schools, all in a multifamily setting — is a new product offering for this part of North Texas. It broadens the corridor’s appeal to buyers and renters who want Argyle ISD access without committing to a single-family home.
Harvest Town Center and Pecan Plaza: Ongoing Expansion
Beyond Tom Thumb, Harvest Town Center continues to add tenants. The center already includes McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, and Chase Bank, with medical offices, service-oriented businesses, and additional restaurant concepts either open or coming soon — including Chuy’s, which recently announced plans for the area. Pecan Plaza, the sister retail destination serving Pecan Square and the surrounding Northlake community, has followed a similar trajectory with dining, retail, and service tenants continuing to fill in.
Between Tom Thumb at the south end of the corridor and the eventual H‑E‑B at Landmark in the north, residents of the corridor now have a realistic vision of a market with two anchor grocery destinations, multiple retail centers, and the kind of daily-convenience access that was unthinkable here just a few years ago.
Faught Ranch: Private Luxury Acreage in the Middle of It All
All of this retail, road, and residential activity is happening around one of the most compelling private developments in the corridor: Faught Ranch. Located in the heart of Northlake, Faught Ranch is a private, master-planned luxury ranch development offering 27 estate homesites on 4 to 8+ acres — with AG-exempt tax status, full infrastructure, bring-your-own-builder flexibility, and no required start date. Four lots have already sold, and finished estates are expected to range from $2.5 million to $5 million or more.
What makes Faught Ranch particularly well-positioned in the context of this 2026 update is that every one of the projects outlined above makes Faught Ranch’s offering more valuable. Tom Thumb is a short drive one direction. H‑E‑B at Landmark is a short drive the other. The FM 407 improvements will ease access. Toll Brothers, Harvest House, Landmark, and the continued retail expansion are reshaping the surrounding landscape. And while everything around Faught Ranch is being developed, subdivided, and absorbed, Faught Ranch itself offers the opposite: privacy, space, and the kind of estate-scale acreage that simply cannot be replicated once it’s gone.
The Pattern: Infrastructure, Retail, and Residential Are All Moving in the Same Direction
Here is what I tell clients when they ask whether the Argyle–Northlake corridor has already peaked: look at what the money is actually doing. A national homebuilder is adding new communities. A $2 million county road improvement project is underway at the corridor’s main intersection. Tom Thumb just opened a flagship grocery anchor in the south. H‑E‑B is building at the north. Hillwood is developing a $10 billion, 3,200-acre mega-community that will eventually include 6,000 homes and 5 million square feet of mixed-use space. Harvest House is bringing hundreds of households to Argyle ISD. Harvest, Pecan Square, Pecan Plaza, and Harvest Town Center are all adding residents, tenants, and amenities. And estate-acreage developments like Faught Ranch are being claimed one lot at a time.
Growth corridors mature in phases. First comes residential demand. Then infrastructure and roads catch up. Then retail follows. Then additional residential product broadens the buyer base. The Argyle–Northlake corridor is currently moving through all of these phases simultaneously, and the properties acquired today — whether residential, multifamily, retail, or raw land — are being acquired at a basis that will look quite different in five years.
What This Means for Buyers and Sellers
For buyers
If you are considering a move to the Argyle–Northlake corridor, the 2026 landscape is stronger than it has ever been. Tom Thumb alone solves the grocery problem that held back a lot of buyers for years, and H‑E‑B at Landmark will add another anchor at the corridor’s northern edge. Road improvements will make the main intersection more functional. New residential inventory — from Toll Brothers at Creek Meadows West, to Landmark’s nine-builder lineup, to Harvest House multifamily, to private developments like Faught Ranch — means there is more product to evaluate than at any point in recent memory. And Argyle ISD and Northwest ISD continue to anchor the family-relocation story. The only real caution is that pricing continues to rise, and the best parcels continue to disappear. If you’re watching the corridor, this is not a market to wait on indefinitely.
For sellers
If you own a home or land in the corridor, the 2026 narrative is working in your favor. Every new project makes your property more valuable — not just through pure appreciation, but through the story you can tell a buyer about the corridor’s trajectory. The data supports it, but so does the visible activity on the ground. Two grocery anchors. A $10 billion master-planned community under construction. County road investment. New luxury builders entering the market. This is a strong moment to evaluate your position, especially if you’ve been holding acreage, a legacy home, or a property that would benefit from being marketed alongside the corridor’s growth narrative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is there a Tom Thumb in Argyle, TX?
A: Yes. A 63,000-square-foot Tom Thumb opened on March 6, 2026 at 1046 Market Way in Argyle, at the northwest corner of I-35W and FM 407 in Harvest Town Center. It is a full-service flagship location with a bakery, deli, meat and seafood counter, in-store Starbucks, and a pharmacy with a drive-thru lane.
Q: Is H‑E‑B coming to Argyle or Northlake, Texas?
A: Denton’s first H‑E‑B is currently under construction at the northwest corner of I-35W and Robson Ranch Road, on the border of Argyle, Northlake, and Denton. The store broke ground in fall 2025 on a 20-plus-acre site within Hillwood’s Landmark development and is expected to open in spring 2027. While technically within Denton city limits, the location is geographically closest to Argyle and Northlake, making it a meaningful retail anchor for the entire Argyle–Northlake corridor.
Q: What is Landmark by Hillwood?
A: Landmark is a 3,200-acre, $10 billion master-planned development being built by Hillwood along I-35W in southwest Denton, bordering Argyle. The former Hunter Ranch property was acquired by the Perot family in 1987. At full build-out, Landmark is planned to include approximately 6,000 homes and 5 million square feet of mixed-use commercial and retail space, with 1,100 acres dedicated to parks, trails, and natural habitat. Phase 1 includes 700+ homes by nine luxury builders and is anchored by Denton’s first H‑E‑B.
Q: Which builders are building at Landmark?
A: Phase 1 of Landmark includes homes from nine of the Dallas-Fort Worth region’s most prominent builders: American Legend Homes, Coventry Homes, David Weekley Homes, Drees Custom Homes, Highland Homes, M/I Homes, Perry Homes, Toll Brothers, and Tri Pointe Homes.
Q: When will the FM 407 and I-35W construction be finished?
A: Denton County’s $2 million FM 407 “micro breakout” project began in early April 2026 and is expected to take approximately four months, with completion anticipated in the summer of 2026. The work adds turn lanes, vehicle deflection walls, drainage improvements, and updated pavement markings at the I-35W interchange.
Q: What is Harvest Town Center and where is it located?
A: Harvest Town Center is a retail center at the northwest corner of I-35W and FM 407 in Argyle, Texas. It is anchored by Tom Thumb and currently includes tenants such as McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, and Chase Bank, with additional restaurants, medical offices, and service tenants either open or coming soon including Chuy’s. It primarily serves Hillwood’s Harvest community in Argyle and Pecan Square in Northlake.
Q: Is Northlake, TX still growing in 2026?
A: Yes. Northlake remains one of the fastest-growing communities in North Texas, with active new residential development from Toll Brothers at Creek Meadows West, ongoing expansion at Pecan Square and the surrounding master-planned communities, new retail anchors like Tom Thumb at the south end of the corridor and H‑E‑B at the north, and county infrastructure investment including the FM 407 improvements. Northlake’s population has grown by more than 95% since 2020.
Q: How do new retail and road projects affect property values in the Argyle–Northlake corridor?
A: Retail anchors like full-service grocery stores signal corridor maturity and historically support residential home value appreciation. Road infrastructure investment tends to follow — and reinforce — the same trend by improving commute times and access. When grocery, road, mega-scale master-planned development, and residential development all accelerate in the same corridor, as is happening in Argyle and Northlake in 2026, the pattern almost always supports continued property value growth, particularly for buyers who acquire at today’s basis.
Q: Is it a good time to buy land in Northlake, TX?
A: Most indicators suggest yes. Inventory of large AG-exempt acreage tracts continues to shrink, per-acre values have appreciated steadily, retail and road infrastructure is actively improving, and major residential builders continue to invest in the corridor. The buy-and-hold strategy has been especially effective for buyers who want to acquire at today’s pricing and let the corridor’s continued growth build equity. As always, every land purchase should be evaluated individually for buildability, zoning, AG exemption status, and your specific goals.
Ready to Talk About the Argyle–Northlake Corridor?
If you are considering buying, selling, or simply tracking the Argyle–Northlake corridor as an investor, I would welcome the conversation. As a luxury real estate advisor at Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty who lives in Argyle and specializes exclusively in this market, I can give you the on-the-ground insight, builder relationships, and land transaction expertise that this corridor requires — and I am tracking every one of these projects in real time.
Ryan Stoddard
Luxury Real Estate Advisor | Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty
402.902.9261 | [email protected] | RyanStoddardRealEstate.com
