Dirt turns at Flatrock Crossing site
Work is well underway at the future site of The Shops at Flatrock Crossing in south Marble Falls. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey, images courtesy of Flatrock Crossing Development Group Partners
Developers announced in late April that a 55-acre Marble Falls retail center, The Shops at Flatrock Crossing, was moving forward despite several delays, setbacks, and false starts. Now, site work is underway and the unmistakable signs of progress can be seen on the property that sprawls along U.S. 281 on the south side of the city.
The Flatrock Crossing project has been hovering on the minds of Marble Falls residents since it was announced in April 2024, promising dozens of new storefronts and restaurants, like Academy Sports + Outdoors, Ulta Beauty, Boot Barn, and Chipotle Mexican Grill. Originally expected to be completed by March 2026, the shopping center hit major snags before getting off the ground in April of this year.
“Right now, we’re moving trees,” Flatrock Crossing co-developer Russ Roper told DailyTrib in late May. “In a few weeks, we’ll be piling surface rock.”
Roper said that after the rock was moved, there would be a few weeks of rock blasting, and then major leveling work across the build site. Heavy equipment, cleared land, large burn piles, and more evidence of construction are now regular sights at the shopping center’s future location.
As of now, Flatrock Crossing is on track for its fall 2027 opening date.
“(Flatrock) is something we’ve been looking forward to for our community and our family and our partners,” Roper said. “When the pad site work is multi millions of dollars, you don’t commit to something like that unless it’s a done deal.”
The Shops at Flatrock Crossing is a massive undertaking, with an estimated $130 million price tag and 330,000 square feet of retail space. It is part of the larger Roper Ranch East Planned Development District, which will eventually include a large residential area and other commercial expansion along U.S. 281.