If You
Build It,

People
Will Stay.

(or in Olsson’s case,
design and engineer it)

That was the thinking behind Grandscape, a sprawling mixed-use development located just off the Sam Rayburn Tollway in the Dallas suburb of The Colony, Texas.

City officials of The Colony were looking to create something that would attract visitors from the metro area and would serve as a catalyst for keeping younger generations closer to home once they reached adulthood.

let's start
at the
beginning.

More about that later.

Grandscape is the brainchild of the Nebraska Furniture Mart.

Back in 2011, the store decided to expand its footprint by anchoring a
one-of-a-kind destination in Texas.

The vision included unique retail and
entertainment options that would attract people from miles around.

Watch for yourself.

In the beginning, there was a tollway, a prime piece of property, and a vision of grandeur.

Katie Wedekind
Grandscape Campaign & Media Relations Manager

That was the vision. The reality?

Nebraska Furniture Mart’s store in The Colony is the largest furniture store in Texas, with nearly 1.9 million square feet of space and more than 2,000 employees.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Grandscape is a 400-acre complex with nearly 4 million square feet of retail,
entertainment, and dining space and attractions.

In Texas, you go big or go home.

Ron Lazenby
Grandscape Senior Project Manager
for Construction & Management

Double-click to select video

Flash photography, Clothing, Hand, Smile, Arm, Photograph, Leaf, Orange, Happy, Temple

Grandscape officially opened in April 2021 (the grand opening was delayed about a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic), six years after construction began.

While work is still ongoing, nearly 40 businesses are already open and 13 more are scheduled to open within the year as is the development’s 344-unit residential tower.

Though Grandscape won't be completely finished until 2026, The Colony is already basking in its glow.

Just ask the mayor (actually, you don’t have to – we did it for you.).

Urban design, Cloud, Sky, Building, Plant, Window

Businesses Open (so far)

Mayor Joe McCourry
The Colony, Texas

TURNING THE VISION INTO REALITY

Here’s where the location of Grandscape – a prime piece of property off the Sam Rayburn Tollway – comes into play.

Olsson worked with Los Angeles-based HTH Architects to modify Grandscape’s master plan. We also provided the civil engineering and landscape architecture design for the lifestyle center, which is the heart of Grandscape. Our work ensured people would have easy access to shopping, restaurants, and entertainment options such as go-karting, a movie theater, and an outdoor space complete with a stage for live music.

Getting there should be quick and easy.

Tod Maurina
Former Assistant City Manager
of The Colony, Texas

Wyatt Popp
Technical Leader of Engineering at Olsson

Urban design, Plant, Property, Cloud, Building, Sky, Tree, Architecture, Biome, Leisure

The Grotto

The lifestyle and entertainment center is a 90-acre tract that features multiple levels of shops, public and private entertainment spaces, and several restaurants. This area is home to the Grotto, a subterranean pedestrian area that includes eateries, shops, gardens, and lush walkways.

In other words, we created an oasis in the Texas heat.

Natural landscape, Plant, Atmosphere, Flower, Branch, Dusk, Twig, Sunset, Sunrise, Sky

Jennifer Seacrest
Technical Leader of Landscape Architecture
for The Olsson Studio

The Terrace

When customers need a break from shopping and fun, they don’t have to go home. They can just move to the Terrace to kick their feet up and relax.

Think of it as Grandscape’s living room.

The Lawn

And if customers don’t need to rest, they can use the Lawn and the Stage area to gather together with others, enjoy live music, play games, or take Zumba classes.

(Now we know where the Grand in Grandscape comes from.)

Land lot, Urban design, Plant, Tree, Sky, Building, Grass, Leisure, Landscape

Katie Wedekind
Grandscape Campaign & Media
Relations Manager

The Homestead

Just off the Lawn is the Homestead, an area featuring local artisans and family-owned shops that offer unique gifts, food, clothes, and much more. This area includes mature live oaks that we helped transport from the former J.C. Penney World Headquarters in nearby Plano, Texas.

Urban design, Plant, Cloud, Sky, Tree, Architecture, Grass, Condominium

Across the Lawn is the second anchor store of Grandscape – Scheels. We designed Scheels' footprint, the landscape around it, and a special feature in front of the store.

Korey Schulz
Team Leader of The Olsson Studio

Points of interest can be specified like this

This is a test

This is also a test

the future
of grandscape

Grandscape officials are planning Phase 2 of the project, which is expected to take five years to complete. The goal is to add more features that will make it easier for people to gather, relax, and have a good time.

Hard to imagine Grandscape on a grander scale.

Outdoor furniture, Cloud, Plant, Sky, Property, Table, Shade, Tree, Architecture

As you can see, Grandscape is a destination that has something for everyone. They say everything is bigger in Texas – Grandscape proves it.

We’ll give Katie the last word of this story.