10/01/2026
As Southlake celebrates 70 years, we’re looking back at the places that helped shape the community we know today.
Town Square didn’t begin as a downtown - it began as a vision for one.
In the mid-1990s, Southlake was still largely residential, and the future Town Square site offered the opportunity to think differently about how the city could grow. Rather than follow a traditional strip-center model, planners took a downtown approach: walkable blocks, connected streets, civic spaces, shops, restaurants, offices and gathering places all designed to work together.
That vision began taking physical shape when construction started in 1998, and the first phase of Southlake Town Square opened in March 1999.
Today, it’s hard to imagine Southlake without it. Town Square has grown into a destination for business, shopping, dining and entertainment while also becoming the gathering place for some of Southlake’s biggest traditions. Stars & Stripes, Home for the Holidays, Art in the Square, Oktoberfest and countless other celebrations have filled these streets over the years, welcoming residents and visitors alike.
What began as a plan for a new kind of development ultimately became something bigger: a downtown built for business, community and connection.
Then, a vision for a new downtown. Now, the heart of Southlake.
