GROWTH CORRIDOR
New Castroville development lures Portillo's, big-box retail
Portillo's is the only dining tenant confirmed so far.
Another massive development is taking shape as San Antonio continues to sprawl westward. Alsatian Oaks, a master-planned community along US Highway 90 E and FM 471, will open in early 2027, bringing with it some marquee big-box names.
Local firm Merit Commercial Real Estate first announced the project back in 2021, touting 950 homes, a "best-in-class" amenity center, parkland, and more than 400,000 square feet of restaurants, retail, and medical office space. Now, a clearer picture is developing of what will be under all those fluorescent lights.
The dining headliner might irk a few San Antonians. Portillo’s, known for its Windy City glizzies and Italian beef sandwiches, is once again skipping the city core in favor of the suburbs. A Chick-fil-A logo was earlier featured on the promo billboards, but it has seemingly moved on to other pastures.
The announced retail tenants are household names. The city’s only Walmart will soon be joined by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bath & Body Works, Burlington, James Avery, Rack Room Shoes, Ross, TJ Maxx, and Ulta Beauty, according to the site sign and leasing documents.
The huge project may seem unusual for the Medina County exurb. After all, on any given Sunday, all 3,200-odd residents of Castroville could fit inside Alsatian Oaks. But Merit is banking on continued growth, brought by its real estate and several other subdivisions.
Whether residents of the historic town — known for pitched roofs more than parking lots — will cotton to the changes is still to be seen. In 2021, a group of Castroville families banded together to preserve downtown’s character. But with hot dogs encroaching, it appears there’s no turning back.

The fire place in the primary bedroom will be very handy during the winter.Photo courtesy of Republic Ranches