SAN MARCOS, Texas — San Marcos leaders and residents have clamored for more grocery store options in their city. Now city leaders are looking to encourage those types of developments by offering tax breaks and speeding up construction timelines.
San Marcos is only home to two H-E-B stores and a Poco Loco Supermercado, along with a Target, Walmart, Sam's Club and convenience stores. According to USDA Food Access data, 6.5% of San Marcos residents don't have a car and are more than half a mile away from a supermarket.
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Other data from the USDA's Economic Research Service shows a food desert along the western portions of Intestate 35 that stretches from Texas State University north towards Kyle. There's also another, larger food desert in the Martindale area.
Residents unhappy with the current offerings in San Marcos took to Reddit to share their wishlists.
Users said both H-E-Bs are always packed, and they shared their hopes of bringing an Aldi to the area. Instead, it appears the beaver is coming to San Marcos.
In February, the San Marcos City Council preliminarily approved tax incentives for Buc-ee's. The travel center chain already has a massive location 20 miles south, in New Braunfels, along with an expansion to the Luling location. Buc-ee's would have to submit construction permits by June 1, with construction starting by the end of March 2025.
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