Ron Sturgeon, owner of RDS Real Estate, is developing Boxes at Sublett, a retail center built from approximately 30 shipping containers scheduled to open in Summer 2026 at 5100 W. Sublett Road in South Arlington, Texas. The project is specifically designed to create affordable retail space for the smallest businesses, addressing a gap in available commercial real estate for micro-enterprises in Tarrant County.
Sturgeon, a longtime advocate for small businesses, developed the concept based on his own entrepreneurial experience and conversations with business owners who struggle to find affordable commercial space. The shipping container approach, which has gained popularity in cities including Nashville, Kansas City, Las Vegas and Wesley Chapel, Florida, allows for cost-effective construction of small retail units suitable for micro-businesses, offices, and hobbyists seeking professional presence.
This marks Sturgeon's second major shipping container development, following his successful Box Office Warehouse Suites project in the Fort Worth Design District, which utilized more than 120 containers. His positive experience with eco-friendly container construction led him to build his own energy-efficient three-story home using shipping containers in 2022, complete with state-of-the-art amenities including a temperature-controlled nine-car garage.
The Boxes at Sublett location is strategically positioned next to the existing Sublett Center, a traditional retail center also owned by RDS Real Estate that is anchored by a Salon & Spa Galleria. This business model, like the container development, was designed with small business owners in mind, offering luxurious but affordable salon suites for independent beauty and wellness professionals.
Despite the project's eventual approval, Sturgeon expressed frustration with the four-year approval process required by the city of Arlington, describing the municipal codes and processes as unnecessarily restrictive barriers to entrepreneurship. He noted that such regulatory hurdles can be particularly challenging for entrepreneurs with limited resources who face significant time and financial investments without guaranteed success.
The development's importance lies in its potential to stimulate local economic activity by providing accessible commercial space for micro-businesses that typically face prohibitive real estate costs. By lowering the barrier to entry for small-scale entrepreneurs, the project could foster business creation, job development, and increased commercial diversity in the Arlington area. The container construction method also represents a sustainable approach to commercial development that repurposes materials while creating functional retail environments.
As commercial real estate costs continue to rise nationwide, innovative solutions like container-based developments offer practical alternatives for small business incubation. The Boxes at Sublett project demonstrates how adaptive reuse of industrial materials can address commercial space shortages while supporting local entrepreneurship. The center's opening in 2026 will provide a testing ground for whether this model can successfully support micro-business growth in suburban retail environments.
