MANVEL, Texas – Hillwood Communities, in partnership with McGuyer Homebuilders Inc. has announced plans for its first Houston-area master-planned community, Pomona off of Highway 288 in Manvel, south of Houston.
Hillwood describes the 1,000-acre project as a “relaxed coastal community.” The $700 million project will have 2,100 single-family homes.
The first phase of Pomona will break ground in spring 2014 with 300 homes offered by Houston builders Highland Homes, David Weekley Homes, Coventry Homes, Plantation Homes and Trendmaker Homes.
Dallas-based Hillwood, led by Ross Perot Jr., is a major land developer. Since its inception in 1988, Hillwood Communities, the residential division for Hillwood, has built 70 communities throughout the United States and Costa Rica, and has developed more than 23,000 lots. Currently, the company oversees 35 active communities in 28 cities and seven states.
Early this year, Hillwood sold off a massive chunk of residential land in Houston: the 3,700-acre Sienna Plantation South, which was sold to Toll Brothers for $78 million.
Hillwood’s vision for the new Manvel project is “to bridge today’s modern lifestyle conveniences to a simpler, laid-back character found in the charming Gulf Coast communities of the South,” the company said in a press release.
The Mustang Bayou, a river that will serve as the heart of the community, runs through Pomona. More than 300 acres of the property will remain open wetlands and protective waters. Improvements to the bayou include planting native grasses and trees.
“We’ve fully embraced the bayou and the City of Manvel has been terrific to work with on creating genuine coastal features in the architecture and throughout the community,” said Fred Balda, president of Hillwood Communities. “We are offering a dynamic master plan that focuses on amenities and recreation in a more relaxed atmosphere that’s not over programmed.”
Said Gary Tesch, CEO of MHI. “The vision of Pomona is to preserve the geography of the bayou and create a sustainable property for future generations to enjoy.”
Pomona is one of two new projects Hillwood announced in February. Union Park, a 787-acre master-planned community located along the U.S. Highway 380 corridor in North Dallas, will break ground in spring 2014.
Hillwood, a Perot company, is ranked as one of the top commercial real estate investors and developers in the country and one of the top residential developers in Dallas-Fort Worth.
Hillwood’s industrial developments currently house facilities for 58 companies listed on the Fortune 500, Global 500 or Forbes List of Top Private firms. Hillwood is best known for its Alliance brand that includes the 17,000-acre AllianceTexas in Fort Worth, 4,474-acre AllianceFlorida at Cecil Commerce Center, and 2,000-acre AllianceCalifornia.