If you’ve driven US-380 through Little Elm recently, you’ve seen the dirt moving. The corridor has become the Town’s busiest development front, and the intersection of US-380 and Ryan Spiritas Parkway in particular is turning into a genuine retail hub — with two grocery anchors and a big-box store all converging on roughly the same stretch of road.
Bates Towne Crossing: the Target-anchored center
The largest single project is Bates Towne Crossing, a nearly 225,000-square-foot retail development at the southwest corner of US-380 and Ryan Spiritas Parkway. Developer Weber & Company named the center after the family’s history in North Texas. Target is confirmed as the anchor tenant and plans to open at the center in the summer of 2026.
Two grocery projects at the same intersection
Kroger has separately purchased 14 acres at the corner of US-380 and FM 2931 in Little Elm, with plans to build a new grocery store there. That project isn’t the only grocery-anchored development at the intersection — GBT has announced plans for a competing Sprouts-anchored shopping center on the northeast corner of the same intersection, meaning two grocery chains are effectively racing to open near each other on the same corridor.
More projects filling in around them
The growth isn’t limited to the two anchor projects. The Little Elm Town Council has approved rezoning of 17.55 acres at the southwest intersection of US-380 and South Paloma Creek Boulevard for commercial development. Separately, a $2.6 million new-construction project is underway at the southwest corner of US-380 and Magnolia Boulevard, involving two retail shell buildings totaling roughly 20,686 square feet — the kind of smaller-format project that typically fills in with restaurants, service businesses, and specialty retail once the anchors are further along.
Why this particular stretch of 380
US-380 functions as Little Elm’s primary east-west commercial spine, and the Ryan Spiritas Parkway intersection sits at a point where new residential growth on both sides of the highway has finally reached the density that makes big-box and grocery anchors viable. For a town that spent years sending residents to Frisco or The Colony for a proper grocery run, having a Target and (eventually) two competing grocery options land at essentially one intersection marks a real shift in how self-contained Little Elm’s retail base is becoming.
Quick Comparison
| Project | Location | Anchor | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bates Towne Crossing | SWC US-380 & Ryan Spiritas Pkwy | Target | ~225,000 sq ft; Target opening summer 2026 |
| Kroger development | US-380 & FM 2931 | Kroger | 14 acres purchased; grocery store planned |
| GBT development | NEC US-380 & Ryan Spiritas Pkwy area | Sprouts | Competing grocery-anchored project announced |
| Paloma Creek Blvd rezoning | SWC US-380 & S Paloma Creek Blvd | TBD | 17.55 acres rezoned for commercial use |
| Magnolia Blvd retail shells | SWC US-380 & Magnolia Blvd | TBD | $2.6M project; two retail shell buildings, ~20,686 sq ft |
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Target at Bates Towne Crossing opening?
Target plans to open at Bates Towne Crossing, on the southwest corner of US-380 and Ryan Spiritas Parkway, in the summer of 2026.
Is Little Elm getting more than one new grocery store?
Yes. Kroger has purchased 14 acres at US-380 and FM 2931 for a new store, and GBT has separately announced a competing Sprouts-anchored shopping center at the same general intersection.
How big is Bates Towne Crossing?
The development totals nearly 225,000 square feet of retail space, anchored by Target.
What’s happening at US-380 and Paloma Creek Boulevard?
The Little Elm Town Council approved rezoning of 17.55 acres at that intersection’s southwest corner for commercial development.
Why is so much development concentrated on US-380?
US-380 is Little Elm’s primary east-west commercial corridor, and the growth reflects residential density on both sides of the highway finally reaching the threshold that makes large anchor tenants like Target and grocery chains viable.