City Development Tracker: November 2026

The biggest development stories in Merced County this month center on retail and planning: Costco confirmed it will relocate to a new Campus Parkway store at Gateway Marketplace, and Merced voters appeared to approve Measure B, a 1-cent Vital Services Protection sales tax. On the infrastructure side, the city received a $5 million flood-protection payment for Bear Creek, and California High-Speed Rail kept advancing the Merced-to-Madera extension. This City Development Tracker for November 2026 covers new developments in Merced and across the county, with every item linked to an official or reputable source.

Every project, decision, and date below was checked against an official page or reputable local reporting during the week of November 10, 2026. Where something could not be confirmed, this tracker says so plainly instead of guessing. Market impact notes are plainly reasoned observations about what a project could mean for homeowners, not promises about prices.

Development Projects: What Is Being Built

Costco confirms move to Campus Parkway at Gateway Marketplace

In mid-October the City of Merced confirmed Costco will relocate to a new Campus Parkway location, alongside planned HomeGoods and TJ Maxx stores, per the Merced Sun-Star. The new store anchors the city's growing retail corridor along Campus Parkway, where Gateway Marketplace has been drawing new tenants. The city was still deciding the fate of Costco's current building at the time of the reports.

What it could mean for homeowners: a larger, more modern Costco on the Campus Parkway corridor strengthens one of Merced's busiest retail and employment areas. Strong retail anchors tend to support buyer interest in nearby neighborhoods and keep that part of town a destination for shoppers from across the county.

Promise Housing adds about 488 beds on the UC Merced campus

Promise Housing, a roughly $108 million project adding about 488 beds on the UC Merced campus, had applications open for Merced College and UC Merced students as of mid-October, per the Merced Sun-Star. The project expands on-campus housing in northeast Merced.

What it could mean for homeowners: more student beds on campus can ease demand on the surrounding off-campus rental market. For homeowners near the university, that can support a steadier balance between student renters and family buyers in the neighborhoods that ring the campus.

On the residential side, no new subdivision approvals in the past month could be confirmed in official records as of this writing. Pending residential projects reported by Livingston planning staff are covered in the Rezoning & Planning section below. Confirmed residential approvals will appear here as they are verified.

Rezoning & Planning: What Is Being Considered

Merced's 6th-cycle Housing Element heads to council action

Merced's state-mandated 6th-cycle Housing Element, a package of General Plan Amendment 24-06 and Zoning Ordinance Amendment 26-0001 tied to a roughly 10,517-unit Regional Housing Needs Allocation, was recommended for adoption by the city's Planning Commission on June 17, 2026. Council adoption had been targeted for the first city council meeting in October 2026, per public meeting summaries. As of this writing, the precise vote from that meeting could not be independently confirmed in official records, so the tracker reports the package as pending rather than approved.

What it could mean for homeowners: a certified housing element unlocks state and federal funding and gives the city a planning framework for a large amount of new housing across income levels. The rezones within the package determine where that growth can land, which shapes neighborhood development for years to come.

Atwater considers a large annexation as part of its General Plan update

Atwater is updating its General Plan for the first time since 2000, with the council reviewing land use and Housing Element amendments. A proposal would annex roughly 600 acres beyond Santa Fe Road and the Castle Air Museum for light industrial, commercial, and residential use, per public planning coverage. The annexation remains a proposal under review rather than a completed decision.

What it could mean for homeowners: annexation of that scale could bring new housing and jobs to Atwater's east side over time. Where new city services and utilities are extended, existing homeowners can see changes in their surroundings and new supply coming onto the market.

Livingston reports a residential pipeline and annexation plans

At an October 7 planning staff report, Livingston reported several items in its development pipeline: an Eric Cabral subdivision of roughly 150 lots on the city's north side, a roughly 4-acre Stewart family subdivision seeking approval, and annexation plans, along with recent completions including the Terras Santa Bellas apartments, Dutch Bros, Arco, and Santa Fe Market renovations, per public planning coverage.

What it could mean for homeowners: a steady residential pipeline brings new homes onto a small-town market where supply is often limited. For current homeowners, new construction means more buyer choice and a wider price range to compare against, while the recently completed commercial additions extend everyday conveniences in town.

Roads & Infrastructure: What Is Being Improved

Merced receives $5 million for Bear Creek flood protection

On October 7, 2026, Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria presented the City of Merced a $5 million payment for Bear Creek flood protection and drainage and stormwater upgrades, per KMPH/FOX26. The funding supports work meant to manage flood risk along Bear Creek as it runs through the city.

What it could mean for homeowners: flood-protection and drainage investment matters most to homeowners in and near the Bear Creek corridor, where water management directly affects risk and peace of mind. Drainage and stormwater upgrades across the city also support the value of established neighborhoods by making them more resilient.

Caltrans Merced Pavement Anchor Project heads to bid on SR 59

Caltrans' Merced Pavement Anchor Project, a pavement overlay with bridge, culvert, and guardrail work on State Route 59 near El Nido from the junction of SR 59/132 to Reilly Road, was targeted to be advertised for bids in October 2026, per Caltrans District 10. The project reached ready-to-list status in October 2025.

What it could mean for homeowners: a resurfaced SR 59 improves the main route for communities near El Nido and the southern part of Merced County. Better pavement on a regional highway eases daily commutes and makes rural and small-town properties more accessible to buyers.

Highway 152 paving and Highway 33 repairs remain on the roadwork list

The county-wide roadwork list for the week of November 2 to 6, 2026, scheduled Highway 152 paving, Highway 33 repairs, and local road restrictions, with some work subject to weather or scheduling changes, per the Los Banos Enterprise. Highway 152 is a key east-west route across the county's west side.

What it could mean for homeowners: repaving Highway 152 smooths a corridor used heavily for commuting and cross-county travel. Homes near improved highways can become more convenient to reach, though surface work can mean temporary detours while the projects are underway.

High-speed rail: Merced-to-Madera procurement advances, station site undecided

The California High-Speed Rail Authority is advancing procurement for the roughly $2.4 billion Merced-to-Madera extension, with competitive design-build statements of qualifications due in November 2026 and two teams expected to be shortlisted by December 2026, per the Authority. The Merced station location remains undecided: the Authority has proposed a site about four miles southeast of downtown near East Mission Avenue and Highway 99, which would need a change to state law, while community organizers are pressing to keep it downtown. Late in October the Authority's CEO resigned after a watchdog report on consultant reimbursements, with the state's finance director named interim CEO.

What it could mean for homeowners: the extension keeps Merced's place in the statewide rail plan moving forward, and where the station lands will influence where growth concentrates over the long term. For now the practical effect is stewardship: the project continues to advance, but the station's final home is still an open question.

City Council: What Was Decided

Merced's Measure B sales tax appears headed to approval

Merced's Measure B, the Vital Services Protection Measure and a 1-cent general sales tax on the November 3 ballot, appeared headed for approval in the county's November 7 results update, with about 57 percent in favor while results remained unofficial and counting, per the Merced Sun-Star. As a general tax it needed only a majority. If certified, it would raise Merced's sales tax from 8.25 percent to 9.25 percent and generate an estimated $18 million a year for police, fire, road, and park services.

What it could mean for homeowners: a voter-approved revenue measure funds local services and street and park maintenance that directly affect day-to-day quality of life. For buyers weighing Merced against neighboring cities, the higher sales tax rate is one comparison to consider alongside the services it is meant to provide. The outcome remains subject to final certification.

Turlock council tightens smoke shop rules and opens a new park

At its October 27 meeting, the Turlock City Council passed an amended smoke shop ordinance limiting permits to one per district, and it approved fee reductions intended to encourage qualifying commercial and industrial development, per council coverage. The council also marked the grand opening of John Lazar Park, announced October 16.

What it could mean for homeowners: a new park gives nearby neighborhoods an added recreation amenity that buyers value, while development-fee reductions aim to lower the cost of bringing new commercial and industrial projects to Turlock. Regulating where smoke shops can locate is a land-use decision that shapes the commercial mix in different parts of town.

Merced council holds a public hearing on a street vacation

The Merced City Council held a noticed public hearing at its October 5 meeting on a street vacation request, Vacation #26-0001, per the city's public hearings page. Street vacations typically free a right-of-way parcel for reuse or private conveyance. The outcome of the request was not confirmed in official records as of this writing.

What it could mean for homeowners: street vacations are a routine but careful part of city land management, often clearing the way for a development or lot reconfiguration nearby. For most homeowners the effect is indirect, but the process reflects how the city manages its right-of-way as land gets reused.

More Local Reading

For the numbers behind the market, read the November 2026 Merced real estate market update and the New Construction Tracker: November 2026, which covers the new-home communities building across Merced and Turlock. For a closer look at the communities where this month's development is landing, visit the Merced, Atwater, Livingston, and Turlock service area pages, and explore the full blog for more local insight.

Previous Trackers

This is the second edition of the City Development Tracker. The previous edition remains live and easy to find:

City Development Tracker: October 2026 covered the UC Merced Medical Education Building, new restaurants at Yosemite Crossing, and the county road rehabilitation program.

Future editions will be listed here by month and year as they are published, so past trackers stay easy to find.