I'm concerned that large developments like Kelly Ranch might generate pressure to turn US 377 into a freeway. This is less of a problem southwest of RM-2871 (although there would still be some impacted properties and businesses, especially between FM-1187 and Cresson), but there would be huge problems northeast of RM-2871, especially for Benbrook's main commercial area between Winscott and I-20. It feels like another case of developers and planners not having the foresight to anticipate the potential for a freeway corridor; as soon as the Ventana development went up, it made building a bypass of Benbrook that could extend southwest from the I-20/I-820 interchange impractical.
The proposal for the Shops at Kelly Ranch sounds like an outdoor "lifestyle center" that would work best near a major highway corridor (ideally a freeway, as SH-114 is in Southlake adjacent to Southlake Town Square). I will note that the Hill Country Galleria in Bee Cave, TX isn't anywhere near a major freeway corridor, but it is near two major at-grade highways in SH-71 and RM-620. Obviously, the commercial aspects won't get developed until several of the residential phases get built; the area's demographics won't support the planned vision until you have a critical mass of residents in the area, although I'm sure the Shops at Kelly Ranch will draw from places like Granbury, Benbrook, and west/southwest Fort Worth too.
I've heard about long-range plans for a regional outer loop that would include a freeway corridor between US-377 and I-20 in Aledo. Still, US-377 is a much more direct route into Fort Worth than the proposed outer loop corridor via Aledo.
