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Celina’s first Walmart Supercenter opens April 29 at Shawnee Trail, the most significant retail milestone yet in this Celina mixed-use development at the corner of Preston Road and the Collin County Outer Loop. Developed by G-Man Development and Trademark Property Company, Shawnee Trail is positioned to become the primary commercial anchor for one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States.
The broader Phase 1 groundbreaking for the Celina mixed-use development follows in 2027.
Why Celina’s Growth Makes This Project Different
Celina is not a typical suburban market absorbing steady infill growth. The numbers here are in a different category entirely.
The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 population estimates named Celina the fastest-growing city in the nation among cities with populations of 20,000 or more, posting a 26.6% increase from July 2022 to July 2023. That rate exceeded the national average of 0.5% by more than 53 times. In 2010, Celina had only 6,028 residents. By 2023 that figure had reached 43,317, and projections from the Celina Economic Development Corporation placed the 2025 population above 54,000 within city limits.
The permit data confirms the trajectory. Mayor Ryan Tubbs confirmed the city issued 2,930 single-family residential permits in 2024, a single-year record and a 17% increase from 2023. Collin County as a whole has added more than 200,000 residents since the 2020 census.
That household formation rate is exactly what Walmart is underwriting at this Celina mixed-use development. The retailer is not opening its first Celina store because the market is established. It is moving early because the growth math on this trade area is unusually compelling.
What Opens April 29 at Shawnee Trail
The Walmart anchoring this Celina mixed-use development is one of the retailer’s contemporary-format stores, featuring an on-site fulfillment center built for e-commerce operations, drone delivery infrastructure, and a fuel station. The footprint runs approximately 200,000 square feet.
This store is part of a broader Walmart expansion targeting 150 new locations nationwide, with four earmarked for Texas. Celina is one of those four. The contemporary format with on-site fulfillment reflects how Walmart is designing stores for high-growth suburban corridors where e-commerce and in-store demand converge.
April 29 is the Walmart store opening date. The broader Phase 1 of the Celina mixed-use development breaks ground in 2027.
The Full Shawnee Trail Program
Shawnee Trail is a Celina mixed-use development built around a specific design philosophy: regional retail draw combined with walkable, neighborhood-scale placemaking. Trademark CEO Terry Montesi has described the approach as integrating community-oriented retail into a vibrant mixed-use environment, with a focus on quality design, pedestrian orientation, and long-term placemaking.
The full program includes:
- Restaurants and entertainment venues
- Office space
- Multifamily residential
- Public gathering areas and parks
- Walkable pedestrian-oriented streetscape
The project name is deliberate. Preston Road follows the historical path of the Shawnee Trail cattle drive route, and the development’s village-style layout and architecture reference that history directly. Developer Rex Glendenning’s holding company is named Glendenning 1887, marking the year his great-grandfather moved to Celina to farm. The development team includes Nelson Partners Architects and Planners and KFM Engineering and Design.
Trademark brings relevant DFW mixed-use scale to this Celina mixed-use development. Its portfolio includes Galleria Dallas, Alliance Town Center, LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch, and Westbend in Fort Worth.
Leasing Momentum Heading Into Opening
Retail leasing is being handled jointly by Shop Companies and Trademark. Approximately 300,000 square feet of prospective tenants have already expressed interest in this Celina mixed-use development, according to project representatives.
That volume of pre-groundbreaking demand reflects a market read retailers are making independently: Celina’s household density is on a trajectory that makes early positioning worthwhile. Established Collin County nodes like Frisco and McKinney are largely built out at the retail level. Shawnee Trail represents the next significant opportunity for brands seeking a high-profile location in a fast-growing trade area.
Matthew Kiran of Rex Real Estate and Glendenning 1887 noted that with Walmart’s opening imminent and the broader groundbreaking in sight, retailers are signaling they want to be part of the Shawnee Trail community.
What This Celina Mixed-Use Development Means for Land
The Shawnee Trail site sits at one of the stronger retail intersections in northern Collin County. Preston Road carries high traffic volume as the primary north-south artery through Celina, Prosper, and Frisco. The Collin County Outer Loop adds east-west connectivity that amplifies regional draw well beyond Celina’s current population base.
A 150-acre Celina mixed-use development at a high-visibility intersection typically generates secondary commercial and residential demand within a half-mile to one-mile radius over a 5 to 10-year window. That catalytic process is already underway across the city more broadly.
The Glendenning team recently held a ribbon cutting at King Place, a 650-acre mixed-use project at the Dallas North Tollway and Glendenning Parkway in Celina, and has signaled additional master-planned announcements in the city are forthcoming.
Major residential projects already delivering or in active planning include Legacy Hills (3,200 acres, approximately 7,000 homes from Centurion American), Ramble by Hillwood (approximately 4,000 homes), multiple communities within the Uptown Celina district, and master-planned communities pushing north through Anna and Collin County. Each adds households directly to the Shawnee Trail trade area or signals the broader demand driving it.
What to Watch
- April 29 Walmart opening: First hard proof point for the Shawnee Trail trade area and a direct signal to the 300,000 square feet of tenants still in discussion.
- Phase 1 groundbreaking (2027): Delivery of restaurants, entertainment, office, and multifamily is the next major milestone for this Celina mixed-use development.
- Retailer lease signings: Watch for signed tenants through the remainder of 2026 as the anchor effect pulls leasing decisions forward.
- Secondary land activity: Rezoning requests and transactions within the Preston Road and Outer Loop half-mile radius will indicate how quickly surrounding parcels are responding.
- Infrastructure delivery: The city has acknowledged road and utility capacity as a growth constraint. Corridor infrastructure timing will pace how quickly Phase 1 absorbs tenants at opening.
Celina issued 2,930 single-family permits in 2024 alone. As the primary Celina mixed-use development at the city’s most strategic intersection, Shawnee Trail is positioned to capture a substantial share of the retail and commercial demand that household growth generates for years to come.
Request a Collin County outer-edge land brief to identify tracts along the Preston Road and Collin County Outer Loop corridor ahead of Shawnee Trail’s Phase 1 groundbreaking in 2027. We will continue to watch the Celina Mixed-Use Development’s as they are announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shawnee Trail in Celina, Texas? Shawnee Trail is a 150-acre Celina mixed-use development at the corner of Preston Road and the Collin County Outer Loop. Developed by G-Man Development and Trademark Property Company, the project includes Walmart as anchor tenant, with restaurants, entertainment, office space, parks, and multifamily residential planned for subsequent phases.
When does the Walmart at Shawnee Trail open? Celina’s first Walmart Supercenter is scheduled to open April 29, 2026 at Shawnee Trail. The store is a contemporary-format location featuring an on-site fulfillment center, drone delivery infrastructure, and a fuel station.
When does Phase 1 of this Celina mixed-use development break ground? The broader Phase 1 of Shawnee Trail is scheduled to break ground in 2027, following the Walmart store opening. Phase 1 will include restaurants, entertainment, office space, parks, and a multifamily component.
Why is Celina attracting major retail investment now? The U.S. Census Bureau named Celina the fastest-growing city in the nation based on 2023 estimates, with 26.6% population growth in a single year. The city issued 2,930 single-family residential permits in 2024, a single-year record. That pace of household formation creates the trade area demand that makes large-scale retail investment viable.
Who is developing Shawnee Trail? Shawnee Trail is being developed by G-Man Development, a subsidiary of Glendenning 1887, in partnership with Trademark Property Company. Trademark is a Fort Worth-based mixed-use developer whose portfolio includes Galleria Dallas, Alliance Town Center, and LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch.
How much retailer interest has Shawnee Trail generated? Approximately 300,000 square feet of prospective tenants have expressed interest in Shawnee Trail ahead of the Phase 1 groundbreaking, according to project representatives.
What does this project mean for land values near Preston Road and the Collin County Outer Loop? A 150-acre anchored Celina mixed-use development at a high-visibility intersection typically catalyzes secondary commercial and residential demand within a half-mile to one-mile radius over a 5 to 10-year window. With major master-planned communities delivering thousands of homes across Celina’s pipeline, the surrounding land market along the Outer Loop corridor is positioned for sustained interest from retailers, developers, and investors.
References
- Chain Store Age. “Walmart to Anchor Under-Construction Texas Mixed-Use Project.” April 2026. https://chainstoreage.com/walmart-anchor-under-construction-texas-mixed-use-project
- Connect CRE. “New Walmart Supercenter to Open Soon at Shawnee Trail.” April 2026. https://www.connectcre.com/stories/new-walmart-supercenter-to-open-soon-at-shawnee-trail/
- Fort Worth Business. “Trademark Property Company Selected as Developer for Shawnee Trail Mixed-Use Development in Celina, Texas.” December 2025. https://fortworthbusiness.com/featured/trademark-property-company-selected-as-developer-for-shawnee-trail-mixed-use-development-in-celina-texas/
- WFAA / Dallas Business Journal. “Fastest-Growing U.S. City Issues a Record Number of Single-Family Residential Permits in 2024.” January 2025. https://www.wfaa.com/article/money/celina-growth-north-texas-single-family-homes/287-91d5b719-d565-437f-8831-8e52f0e68d39
- Construction Owners Association. “Walmart to Anchor 150-Acre Shawnee Trail Mixed-Use Development in Celina.” April 2026. https://www.constructionowners.com/news/walmart-anchors-celina-mixed-use-development
