New development to begin phase one in near future
By Erin Cooper
The Community News
Hudson Oaks citizens, or those passing through, will have an extra option for exiting Interstate-20 in the future.
Several businesses and development companies has joined forces to make it a possibility for people to have direct access to the car dealerships and shopping centers west of Lakeshore Drive.
The exit ramp will be located just east of the current Lakeshore Drive bridge, according to city administrator Robert Hanna.
“There is a consortium of people participating,” he said.
Businesses investing in this project include Margaux Realty, St. Ives Realty, Jerry’s Chevrolet, Jerry’s GMC, Jerry’s Nissan, Wal-Mart, Robert Bell and Connell Development.
Connell Development will soon work on the first phase of a two-part, 70-acre development project west of Wal-Mart. The first phase will develop approximately 26 acres from Gateway Drive to the cinema entrance, from I-20 up to Highway 180. Dallas-based Connell Development purchased the land last Dec. 15.
“Our background is primarily land development; I guess traditionally a business park developer, going back to the 1970s,” company president Mark Connell said. “It expanded over the years to retail, commercial as well as some residential development.”
Connell bought the property to complete the land development that began with the movie theater. He is optimistic about the future plans of the current development site.
“We have a high level of interest and are talking to several people on different sides; everybody will be waiting to get the development approved and that should all happen within this year,” he said.
The first phase will consist of drainage work and utility extensions to provide the retail and commercial customers of the development with stand alone sites. Connell said the second phase also contains plans for development, but that they will take longer than the first phase.
“The second phase of the project is really going to be the west side and that will take a little longer, but they are starting to talk to major tenants that would have an interest in the area,” he said. “Hopefully we will be able to proceed here before too long with plans for retail on that side.”