Walmart Store #286 Zipline Drone Delivery

Walmart is installing a drone delivery system at its Ennis location, a project filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation under the name Walmart Store #286 Zipline Drone Delivery. The work involves a renovation and alteration of the existing facility at 700 E Ennis Ave in Ellis County, with an estimated cost of $750,000 and a scope of 5,000 square feet.

The filing specifies the installation of a drone delivery system and equipment by a vendor, along with a new foundation and a through-wall portal. Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. is the design firm of record, and James J Heilman is the registered accessibility specialist. The project is privately funded on private land for private use.

Timeline and Status

TDLR completed plan review in January 2025, and construction was scheduled to begin in May 2025 with a completion date of July 2025. Although that scheduled completion date has passed, TDLR has not yet recorded a final inspection, so the current state of the site is not confirmed in the public record. The TDLR status remains Review Complete.

Context and Comparison

At $750,000, this project’s estimated cost is above the county median for renovation and alteration filings in Ellis County, which stands at $230,000. The project’s size of 5,000 square feet is larger than the county median of 3,700 square feet. The scheduled build window of 61 days is shorter than the county median of 92 days. The cost per square foot of $150 is above the county median of $84 per square foot.

Walmart has six other TDLR-registered projects totaling $6,216,070, including locations in Breckenridge, Woodville, Tomball, Fort Stockton, and El Paso. Nearby businesses include Advance America, Starbucks Coffee Company, Quality Inn Ennis, Subway, and Little Caesars Pizza.