Denton’s 80-year-old Harris Ranch is headed for a very different future, with part of the longtime cattle property set to become a 53-acre business park. Groundbreaking is scheduled for early August, and the first phase is expected to deliver five industrial buildings before the project potentially grows into a much larger campus.
The development, called Harris Ranch Urban District, is planned beside Interstate 35 just south of Loop 288. According to Harris Ranch, Phase I will total approximately 656,007 square feet and serve distribution, advanced manufacturing and last-mile users, with delivery anticipated in the third quarter of 2027.
Five Buildings First, Then A 1.1 Million-Square-Foot Campus
The land deal brings together Farmers Branch-based Urban Logistics Realty and a real estate fund advised by Crow Holdings Capital, according to Chron. First United Bank financed the purchase, but the sale price has not been disclosed.
The initial 53-acre development could eventually expand across 80 acres and include 10 buildings totaling 1,109,207 square feet. Developers are pitching the campus as a more polished version of the typical warehouse complex, with planned amenities and a design intended to make the industrial site feel connected to its surroundings.
Phase I will include Building A at 193,818 square feet, Building B at 99,797 square feet, Building C at 69,450 square feet, Building D at 158,654 square feet and Building E at 134,288 square feet, Chron reported. The project’s planned partners include GSR Andrade Architects, Kimley-Horn and Bratjen Construction.
State construction records show that Building B is planned for 99,797 square feet at 5801 N. Interstate 35 in Denton, with an estimated completion date of June 2027. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing lists the structure as a new cold-dark-shell warehouse, with no tenant assigned yet.
A Ranch Legacy Reworked For North Texas Growth
Harris Ranch covers roughly 256 acres and was established by the Harris family in 1952, according to a Robert Harris Realty listing. The property’s location along I-35, near the split between I-35E and I-35W and the future Loop 288 extension, helped make it a natural target for employment and logistics development.
The City of Denton’s 2021 public notice described the recently annexed property as a candidate for Light Industrial zoning, and city council records show the zoning request was approved in December of that year. The city notice said the site was generally located on the southwest corner of I-35 North and the future Loop 288 extension.
Developers say the ranch’s Triple O brand will continue into the new project, while Chief Development Officer Drew Feagin said Harris Ranch has been part of Denton’s identity for generations. That attempt to preserve the property’s symbolism arrives as the physical landscape changes from cattle pasture to business campus.
The shift is part of a broader development push across Denton County, where other historic ranch properties are also being repositioned for large-scale projects. The Dallas Business Journal previously reported plans to transform Denton’s Cole Ranch into a multibillion-dollar community with thousands of homes, schools, parks and commercial space.
