Fate’s Lafayette Crossing lands Kroger as first major anchor

Kroger Marketplace is set to become the first major commercial anchor at Lafayette Crossing, giving Fate a grocery and retail destination at the northwest corner of I-30 and Memorial Parkway, also known as FM 551. The city says the store will bring more than 100,000 square feet of retail and grocery space to a project it is pitching as a long-term commercial center for the fast-growing suburb.

Lafayette Crossing spans 267 acres and is planned as a mixed-use district with a second major anchor retailer, plus supporting retail, dining and commercial services. City records describe the first phase, Project Cactus, as about 81.625 acres split into 24 commercial and open-space parcels, with roughly 400,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space expected overall. The property was rezoned from Agriculture to Planned Development-Lafayette Crossing in February 2024, clearing the way for the larger buildout.

The city also linked the project to public infrastructure spending. In April 2025, Fate amended its development agreement to allow up to $15 million in reimbursements for roads, sewer, water and utility work serving Project Cactus. The reimbursement period begins in 2028 and runs for 10 years. The city’s timeline called for roads and utility infrastructure to be finished by mid-2027, the anchor grocery and department stores to open by the end of 2027, and about 50,000 square feet of smaller shop space to follow by the end of 2028.

For residents, the practical payoff is simple: more places to buy groceries, eat and handle everyday errands without driving to neighboring cities. Mayor Andrew Greenberg has said residents want more convenient services and everyday amenities close to home, while Economic Development Director Matt Wavering has described the project as a source of jobs, economic opportunities and long-term commercial sustainability. With new single-family communities surrounding the site, Lafayette Crossing is being shaped as a place where daily spending can stay in Fate instead of leaking to other retail hubs.

The location also puts more pressure on traffic around one of Fate’s busiest growth corridors. As stores, pad sites and restaurant space fill in around I-30 and FM 551, the project is likely to change traffic patterns at the northwest edge of the city. That matters in a community whose estimated population reached 29,007 in 2025, up from 17,958 in the 2020 census, while Rockwall County climbed to an estimated 140,738 residents. Lafayette Crossing is being built as both a shopping district and a long-term tax base for a city still absorbing rapid growth.