Shopping
Killeen itself has been on a phenomenal growth cycle for a number of years, now officially claiming 86,911 (2000 Census) residents in the city limits itself.
Neighboring Harker Heights (population 17,308), adjoining Killeen on the east, and Fort Hood, where more than 38,000 reside on the military reservation, swell the population of the area greatly.
Business growth also reflects the population growth. The rapid-growth area has been along superhighway U.S. 190, a corridor that, although filling rapidly, still has space for additional business development. A "restaurant row," with a number of nationally recognized eating establishments, has developed along a stretch of U.S. 190 from Stan Schlueter Loop to W.S. Young Drive. Other nationally known retail businesses have located in the area. These businesses, restaurants and a new, 14-screen movie theater complex are helping in the expansion of Killeen's trade area and have also helped Killeen become a regional shopping area.
Even with the rapid growth, there is still room for additional development and some retail space remains available in existing buildings. A plus for a would-be developer or someone seeking retail space for a new business is that rental rates in the fast-growing U.S. 190 corridor near Killeen Mall and Wal-Mart Superstore are running from $14 to $18 per square foot. Pad sites range from $6 to $12 per square foot in the same area, depending on exact location.
Although the U.S. 190 locations attract those businesses that need a high volume of traffic, there are approximately 20 other shopping and strip centers where businesses can be located. U.S. 190 is attractive because the traffic volume on that superhighway approaches 80,000 vehicles daily. Few cities outside major metropolitan areas approach these figures. This is the highest traffic count in Bell County, including Interstate Highway 35.
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