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Home|About|News & Insights |Walmart Cibolo Distribution Center: $400M, 712,500 SF Hub Near San Antonio

Walmart Cibolo Distribution Center: $400M, 712,500 SF Hub Near San Antonio

October 30, 2026
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Westside Construction Group
Row of truck loading docks on a large distribution building | Westside Construction Group
Row of truck loading docks on a large distribution building | Westside Construction Group

Walmart is the company behind the planned $400 million Walmart Cibolo distribution center, a 712,500 square foot facility with a 31,933 square foot connected office on 126 acres off Interstate 10 between San Antonio and Austin. A state filing shows construction starting in February 2027 and finishing by August 2029, and the project is tied to at least 425 full-time jobs (San Antonio Express-News; Texas Public Radio).

The project had been known only by the city code name Project Theo since it surfaced in October 2025. A filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, reported on October 28, 2026, identified Walmart as the owner. Walmart and city officials declined to comment on the filing, and the details in it are preliminary (San Antonio Express-News; Texas Public Radio).

What Happened

The TDLR filing lists the project at 3641 S. Santa Clara Road in Cibolo, in Guadalupe County, and puts its cost at $400 million (Texas Public Radio). When the project first came to light a year ago, the Express-News reported a $450 million planned investment by an unnamed Fortune 500 company; the new figure in the state filing is lower (San Antonio Express-News; San Antonio Express-News, 2025).

Texas Public Radio noted that the address is also that of the San Antonio Raceway, which online listings show as permanently closed (Texas Public Radio). The Express-News reported in 2025 that the site was owned by RT Industrial Holdings LLC (San Antonio Express-News, 2025).

The Project at a Glance

The Incentive Package

The Cibolo City Council approved incentives in October 2025, before the company was named. The city package, valued at $32.5 million, includes a 75 percent property tax abatement for 10 years, a 50 percent rebate of the city’s maintenance and operations property tax for five years, a performance-based sales tax rebate and a tax increment reinvestment zone (San Antonio Express-News, 2025).

The Cibolo Economic Development Corp. added a $300,000 infrastructure reimbursement paid in year one, a $453,000 cap on project permit fees and $6,000 for workforce development. Guadalupe County is developing its own incentive plan, and the city wants about 20 acres set aside for a future store (San Antonio Express-News; San Antonio Express-News, 2025). City projections reported in 2025 put the return to Cibolo at about $10 million over 10 years, $52 million over 20 years and $121 million over 30 years (San Antonio Express-News, 2025).

Guadalupe County Commissioner Stephen Germann said “This project will be a game changer for Cibolo” (San Antonio Express-News).

Why Cibolo

Walmart does not have a regional distribution center in San Antonio; stores along the I-35 corridor are served from its center in New Braunfels (San Antonio Express-News; Texas Public Radio). Cibolo’s location on I-35 and I-10 attracts distributors and manufacturers, and the city says it already hosts dozens of industrial companies. Japanese transmission maker Aisin opened a 500,000 square foot plant there in 2019, which the city reported brought $400 million in investment and 900 jobs (Texas Public Radio).

The automation detail fits Walmart’s broader supply chain program. The company signed with Symbotic in 2021 to install automated storage and retrieval systems at its 42 regional distribution centers by 2034 (San Antonio Express-News).

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

  • General contractors and site contractors: a 126-acre site with a 712,500 square foot building means large scale earthwork, paving, tilt-up or precast walls and heavy slab work. No contractor has been named (San Antonio Express-News).
  • MEP and controls subs: a robotic distribution center typically carries heavier power distribution and controls scope than a conventional warehouse. Grocery and retail supply chain owners elsewhere are also building, as in Wegmans’ $110 million supply chain build.
  • Owners and developers: the Cibolo package combines abatements, rebates and a reinvestment zone. Texas continues to land large industrial projects, such as Carrier’s $600 million Fort Worth plant.
  • Local trades: with a February 2027 start, preconstruction and bidding would likely fall in the coming months if the schedule holds (Texas Public Radio).

What to Watch

  • Guadalupe County’s separate incentive plan (San Antonio Express-News).
  • Selection of a general contractor and design team.
  • Whether the cost holds at $400 million and the February 2027 start stays on schedule (Texas Public Radio).

Bottom Line

The Walmart Cibolo distribution center is a $400 million, 712,500 square foot automated hub on 126 acres off I-10, with construction set to start in February 2027 and finish by August 2029. It brings at least 425 jobs and a $32.5 million city incentive package, and it would give Walmart a regional distribution center in a metro where it currently has none, with I-35 stores now served from New Braunfels.

Key Questions

Is Walmart building a distribution center in Cibolo?

Yes. A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing identifies Walmart as the company behind the $400 million distribution center at 3641 S. Santa Clara Road in Cibolo, Texas (Texas Public Radio).

How big is the Walmart Cibolo distribution center?

The Walmart Cibolo distribution center is planned at 712,500 square feet with a 31,933 square foot connected office on 126 acres (San Antonio Express-News).

How many jobs will the Walmart Cibolo distribution center create?

The Walmart Cibolo project is expected to create at least 425 full-time jobs with wages above the San Antonio metro median (San Antonio Express-News).

When will construction start on the Walmart Cibolo distribution center?

Construction on the Walmart Cibolo distribution center is expected to begin in February 2027, with completion by August 2029, according to the state filing (Texas Public Radio).

What incentives did Cibolo approve for Walmart?

The Cibolo City Council approved a package valued at $32.5 million, including a 75 percent property tax abatement for 10 years and a tax increment reinvestment zone (San Antonio Express-News, 2025).

Related Coverage

Image credit: Matthew Jackson on Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash License. Representative image, not the Cibolo site.

Sources

Categories
Infrastructure & Development
Construction Finance
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