Brazos Landing

Newland to Develop New Subdivision in Sugar Land

Newland to Develop New Subdivision in Sugar Land

Even though not much of it is in Sugar Land’s city limits yet, the 2,018-acres of what use to be prison farmland will be dotted with houses and businesses in a few years because acreage was sold last week to Newland Communities for $37.5 million.

The San Diego-based developer beat out two other bidders to buy the property they’ve been working to acquire since November 1982, according to Jim Jenkins, president of the Texas Region of Newland Communities.

The prime property is in the heart of Sugar Land and fronts on U.S. 90A, U.S. 59 and Hwy. 6, so it will be a combination of residential and commercial development. Until a year ago the property was owned by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. They transferred it to the state’s permanent school fund and the Texas General Land Office handled the sale. All of the $37.5 million will go into the school fund, which is dedicated to public universities.

Sugar Land and the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council are both as glad to see the property sold as Newland is to buy it. "We’re excited to see that there’s finally been action taken on the property because it’s a significant piece that fronts on three of Fort Bend County’s major arteries," said Jennifer Raymond, vice president of development for the EDC.

Jenkins said, "This land is surrounded by master planned communities and is perhaps one of the finest remaining tracts of land in Fort Bend County, if not the state. First Colony, Avalon and New Territory are the existing communities that surround it."

Newland is no stranger to Sugar Land or Fort Bend County. The company developed Sugar Mill in the northernmost part of First Colony. "We acquired the land, designed and did Greatwood and also did Cinco Ranch," both of which are now Tara Brook developments that company bought from Newland’s financial partner, American General Insurance, Jenkins said.

"We’ve also developed Villages at Parkstone in Harris County at Mason Road and Highland Knolls. In Fort Bend we currently have Seven Meadows at Fry Road and the Grand Parkway. It’s 1,050 acres, and we also have Grayson Lakes, which is 325 acres next to Katy Mills Mall.

"Seven Meadows will have 2,500 homes and Grayson Lakes will have 550 homes. We also have Summerwood, which fronts on Beltway 8 at Lake Houston Parkway and has 3,200 homes planned on 1,600 acres," he said.

"We don’t have any plans for the number of houses for the Sugar Land tract yet. That will be under the control of the city of Sugar Land. It’s in their ETJ now but they’ve announced the desire to annex the land and that will probably happen in the summer of 2003."

Even though the development company bought 2,018 acres, they will be selling some of that to Fort Bend ISD for one high school, one middle school and two elementary schools, Jenkins said. Sugar Land also wants some 65 acres for a regional park and 150 acres will be used for lakes and detention. "Before anything can be developed, a levee will need to be built around the property. The levee will run between $8 million to $11 million and take about 18 months to build," Jenkins said.

The developer will also extend University Boulevard from the new University of Houston Fort Bend campus north to First Crossing where the new Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart Super Centers are located.

Before anything occurs, Jenkins said, "It will take many months to work with the city on the details of development and land uses. The city has expressed an interest in having several hundred acres be classified as commercial. We hope to break ground at the end of 2003 for roads, utilities and the levee."

He pointed out that development doesn’t happen overnight. "Newland Communities began working on Greatwood in May 1985 and the grand opening was in February 1990. To compare that, Cinco Ranch started in June 1984 and the grand opening was in January 1991."

By way of comparison to other developments in Fort Bend, Raymond said Sienna Plantation is more than 10,000 acres, First Colony is 9,700 acres and New Territory is 2,000 acres.

The two bidders who lost out to Newland Communities are Johnson Development Co., which is building Riverstone, and the other bidder was Perry Homes, which developed The Commonwealth and Waterside Estates. Five developers were qualified as bidders but only three bids were submitted for the property.

The Texas General Land Office held two meetings to provide information to developers and the three bids were opened in Austin on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 10 a.m.