MT Shell Building #1 (Lot 9) in Midlothian, TX

A new 20,364 square foot retail shell building at 4271 FM 1387 in Midlothian, Texas, has completed its construction and accessibility review process. The project, filed as MT Shell Building #1 (Lot 9), was a new construction effort on private land in Ellis County. R Midlothian LLC served as the owner of record, while Franz Architects provided the design services for this one-story structure.

The estimated cost for the project was $3,100,000, which calculates to approximately $152 per square foot. This figure is close to the county median of $148 per square foot for similar new construction filings in Ellis County. The total cost places the project above the county median of $900,000, sitting in the top quarter of registered projects by value. The scheduled build window of 274 days was also close to the county median of 244 days for new construction.

The project was registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) in February 2025. Plan review was completed in the same month. Construction began in April 2025, with a completion date on the filing set for December 2025. The final inspection was passed in March 2026. In August 2026, TDLR closed the project file, marking the end of the accessibility review process for this construction.

Project Details and Context

Landy Perkins was the registered accessibility specialist for the project. The scope of work included the new retail shell building and associated site development. The project is privately funded and located on private land for private use. R Midlothian LLC has one other TDLR-registered project, The UPS Store in Midlothian, valued at $110,000, which is also review complete.

Franz Architects has six other TDLR-registered projects totaling $6,862,530. These include Long John Silver's in San Angelo, AO Smith in Haltom City, and 151 Coffee in Fort Worth. The area surrounding the project, ZIP code 76065, has a population of about 44,614 according to U.S. Census American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. The median household income in this area is $123,664, and the median owner-occupied home value is $378,600.

Ellis County unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in August 2026, which is lower than a year earlier. The project status is Project Closed, indicating that all required inspections and reviews have been finalized. No further construction activity is associated with this specific TDLR registration.