The Gateway to the Hill Country

Helotes is crafting a model for sustainable expansion that preserves its authentic community character.

Just eight miles northwest of downtown San Antonio, Helotes, Texas offers businesses a rare proposition of small-town quality of life with big-city accessibility and a carefully managed growth strategy. Strategically positioned, the town marks the transition from urban sprawl to rolling hills, with Mayor Rich Whitehead noting, “we’re the gateway to the hill country, where all of a sudden, the city bypasses you, and you’ve got hill-country life.”

“What really embraces and defines Helotes is our rich heritage,” he adds. The town’s unique character shines through landmarks like the Floore’s Country Store, an 83-year-old music venue ranked by Country Music Television as the world’s second-most important country music stage.

 The city’s leadership is now implementing strategic economic initiatives. “We’re looking for the right mix…we can work with to enhance our community,” Whitehead notes. From mixed-use developments to corporate partnerships, Helotes is writing its next chapter while preserving what makes it special.

The Heart of Helotes: Heritage and Lifestyle

At the core of Helotes lies Old Town, where historic charm meets modern vitality. The district features century-old buildings alongside new constructions designed to mirror their rustic predecessors. “We have antique shops, coffee shops, microbreweries, there’s a few bars, micro venues for music,” describes Whitehead, highlighting the area’s vibrant mix. The monthly MarketPlace event transforms these streets into a bustling outdoor market with 200 vendors and 3,000-4,000 visitors enjoying live music and local fare.

Community spirit thrives through family-centric amenities. Recently, a professional-grade pickleball court opened with an adjacent food court, while the annual Cornyval Festival, featuring Texas’s largest outdoor rodeo, draws 100,000 visitors over four days.

 “That is one of the things that really embraces what Helotes is. It’s not about where are you going to go to a bar and have a club night? It’s more, where can you go as a family and enjoy yourselves? It’s really more community driven, not club night driven,” Whitehead explains.

With a population of approximately 13,000, Helotes maintains an intimate community feel while offering urban-caliber amenities. Its reputation for safety remains a cornerstone, ranked second-safest in Bexar County with near-zero violent crime.

“We do pride ourselves on an amazing police force that has incredibly quick response times,” notes Whitehead. “People know that our police are friendly and interactive, with their quick response and crime really stays south of us. It doesn’t creep into our community. For that reason, businesses want to be here. They know that their businesses are appreciated and protected”

This combination of heritage, community, and security creates an enviable quality of life that supports business growth.

Economic Development and Strategic Growth

Helotes is actively shaping its economic future through targeted development projects and business-friendly policies. The Bandera Ranch mixed-use development represents one of the town’s most ambitious undertakings, designed to blend 200 rental homes with upscale commercial offerings.

 “That particular mixed use development deal was one that I worked on from the get-go, and we crafted that,” says Whitehead. “Mixed use development in itself is one massive variance, and so we designed it to be a nice mix of rental homes as well as commercial and some open park space.”

 “We’re looking for high-end date night restaurants, maybe a steakhouse, looking for boutique grocery stores,” he adds, emphasizing the project’s curated approach. Though ground hasn’t broken, the city is working closely with developers to secure key tenants for what will become a premier lifestyle destination.

To attract businesses, Helotes employs pragmatic incentives through 380 agreements. “We have made use of 380 agreements to give tax, property tax refunds or sales tax refunds,” explains Whitehead. These case-by-case arrangements have successfully attracted retailers like QT Gas Station, Builders First Source, and several housing developments while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

“We have had the vast majority of businesses come to Helotes without any agreement because they want to be here to become an epicenter and a major thoroughfare from all the population explosion in the Hill Country. It really drives right through Helotes to Highway 1604 to get to San Antonio. So it is a desirable location,” he adds.

Workforce development leverages partnerships with the University of Texas San Antonio, just four miles away, and San Antonio’s SA Works program.

“We have a tremendous supply of workforce and educated workforce very nearby to tap into. We just haven’t really had an industry that needed an educated workforce, because we’re mostly service-oriented, but definitely would love to bring in a business that would require that,” Whitehead explains.

City Administrator Henry Hayes points to a business development type incubator program, “it’s not the traditional look and feel of an incubator, but there’s an opportunity in the space that we have over there to draw in some trainings, some type of exposure and business exchange type of situations that can help with not only the mindset of the business owner, but also the job seeker.”

While residential growth within city limits nears capacity, the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) offers expansion potential. “Outside of Helotes, there is a tremendous amount of housing development,” says Whitehead, noting ample workforce housing within a 10-minute radius. This balance of controlled growth and strategic partnerships positions Helotes for sustainable economic success.

Infrastructure and Readiness

Helotes has strategically positioned itself for sustainable growth through robust infrastructure partnerships and forward-looking planning. The city’s electrical needs are served by CPS Energy, which has been aggressively expanding capacity to meet regional demand.

“Our electricity is provided by CPS, which is owned by San Antonio. And they have been on a rash of expansion of substations, including one just to the north side of our city. So power access is always an issue, but CPS is well positioned in putting in initial infrastructure and expanding that infrastructure. So we don’t anticipate problems in being able to provide power,” notes Whitehead. This reliable power infrastructure forms a critical foundation for commercial and industrial development.

Water and wastewater services are equally robust, with the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) providing essential utilities. The city proactively invested in expansion projects to ensure capacity for growth. “A number of years ago, we paid for with the bond issue, expanding a water supply and sewage availability up to the north side of our town,” says Whitehead. These strategic investments mean Helotes can accommodate new businesses without straining existing systems.

Transportation infrastructure gives Helotes a competitive advantage, with prime access to Highway 16 and Loop 1604. “We have property on State Highway 16 with amazing access, amazing traffic flow that is in our ETJ area,” Whitehead emphasizes. The city’s location along these major corridors creates natural commercial opportunities while connecting seamlessly to the greater San Antonio region.

Helotes takes a measured approach to infrastructure development, carefully matching capacity to need. As Whitehead puts it: “It really kind of comes to the point that where somebody is wanting to expand in the area, it really is dependent upon what type of facility they’re going in there that we can work to bring in the infrastructure to support. And we have willing partners all the way around that equation from landowners that have available land to sell to the city being able to support it with potential incentives to CPS and water supply, as well as our chambers supporting that as well too.”

This collaborative, needs-based approach ensures infrastructure keeps pace with growth without overextension.

Vision for the Future

Helotes’ growth strategy is guided by a philosophy of intentional development. “Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do something. And with that, I think a lot of times communities either develop because they have to or they feel they need to, and so they sign every possible deal that they can and in the process, as applied to municipality, they end up losing their identity,” Whitehead shares.

“When I was elected four years ago, my goal was to secure the financial stability of our community, so that we’re not in a position where we have to do something. We’re going to develop because we want to, and we want to partner with the right businesses to bring the right amount of services and the right kinds of services to our community,” he adds.

This selective mindset prioritizes projects that align with the town’s core values of family, safety, and prosperity.

New Economic Development Director Scott Hardwick brings a fresh perspective, emphasizing adaptability. “I do believe in lifelong learning… My background is in economic development, so I’ve worked in the private sector and public sector in various positions,” Hardwick explains. His diverse experience will help attract businesses that complement Helotes’ character while driving economic progress.

The leadership team has clear priorities for the coming years. Two 20-acre parcels are slated for strategic development, with Whitehead noting, “we really would like to see mixed use development. I would love to be able to embrace a hotel.” The city also aims to attract “value-add manufacturing, something that would be sales tax driven,” along with tech industries and corporate headquarters.

Youth sports infrastructure represents another growth opportunity. While being careful not to “disclose confidential information,” Whitehead reveals interest in expanding volleyball and basketball facilities to host tournaments, building on the region’s strong youth sports culture.

 Strategic Growth, Authentic Character

Helotes stands as a compelling model for small towns navigating growth, proving economic progress and community character can coexist. By strategically selecting developments that align with its values, the town has created a blueprint for sustainable expansion. The careful balance of historic preservation, infrastructure investment, and targeted business attraction demonstrates how municipalities can grow without losing their identity.

“You can never go wrong doing the right thing,” Whitehead wisely advises. This philosophy has guided Helotes’ transformation into a thriving community that offers businesses both opportunity and quality of life, a rare combination in today’s competitive landscape.

With clear priorities set for mixed-use developments, hospitality expansion, and workforce partnerships, Helotes is writing its next chapter on its own terms.

AT A GLANCE

Who: City of Helotes

What: A Hill Country community blending live music heritage with targeted economic development

Where: Bexar County, Texas

Website: www.helotes-tx.gov