Atwoods Ranch and Home is coming to Highway 64 West, and that’s good news for shoppers and the sales tax base. HEDCO is providing land and paying for the site work. The agreement behind it has not been made public, and we can’t find a City Council vote on it.
This story is part of our review of every performance agreement the Henderson Economic Development Corporation has made. A performance agreement is a contract: HEDCO puts up sales tax money, land or work, and a business promises something in return, usually investment and jobs. We are not suggesting anyone did anything wrong. We are asking whether the public can see what was promised and whether anyone checks.
| The deal at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Recipient | Atwood Distributing, L.P. (Atwoods Ranch and Home) |
| HEDCO action | May 12 and June 16, 2026 agendas; approved and signing authorized July 28, 2026; land transfer authorized September 14, 2026 |
| City Council approval | Not found for the agreement itself |
| Incentive | 6.99 acres of the Jenkins-Tenbrink tract; HEDCO-paid road, sewer, water and stormwater work |
| Known costs | $109,850 Stokes and Associates design work order; sewer extension out for bids |
| Agreement text public? | No |
What the record shows
HEDCO’s board came out of executive session on July 28, 2026 and voted unanimously to approve the Atwoods performance agreement and authorize its signing. On September 14, 2026 it authorized the transfer of 6.99 acres and approved a $109,850 engineering work order for the entrance drive and a temporary detention pond. We covered the infrastructure in detail in our Atwoods story.
What’s missing
What the public record leaves out
- The agreement itself, including the land price, if any.
- What Atwoods promises in return: jobs, opening date, investment.
- A City Council vote approving the agreement. State law makes the city responsible for HEDCO’s spending. The City Council must approve all of the corporation’s programs and expenditures (Local Government Code 501.073).
- The full cost of the road, sewer and water work once bids are in.
Our ask
What would make this deal easy to check
- Publish the agreement.
- Bring it to the council as its own agenda item, with the full infrastructure cost.
Sources: HEDCO agendas for May 12, June 16 and July 28, 2026; HEDCO minutes of July 28, 2026, printed in the September 17, 2026 City Council packet; HEDCO minutes of September 14, 2026, printed in the October 20, 2026 City Council packet; September 17 and October 20, 2026 City Council agendas.