Austin Business Journal writes, "Thousands of homes are headed to Hutto, where Houston-based Empire Continental Land LP is building a sprawling new neighborhood.
Empire Continental Land, the Texas land division of residential builder and developer Empire Communities, announced March 18 that work had begun on the project. Flora, as it is called, will rise on more than 800 acres and have nearly 3,000 homes once complete. It’s yet another example of massive neighborhoods sprouting in largely rural areas of the metro as Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Tesla Inc. and other companies expand in the region and spur population growth.
“Hutto is in a period of dynamic growth for both businesses and residential communities,” said Steve Sellers, president of ECL, in a statement. “Flora is only 30 minutes from downtown Austin, near Georgetown and Round Rock, and just minutes from the new Samsung Austin Semiconductor plant opening this year in nearby Taylor.”
Flora will be built on 835 acres along County Road 133, to the north of Hutto. Plans call for about 2,800 homes in total, with around 400 in the first phase of the development.
Home sites will be 40, 50 and 60 feet, and floor plans will range from three to five bedrooms, with estimated square footage of 1,400 to more than 4,000.
Flora's homebuilders will be announced in May, with the first homes expected to be delivered by the end of 2024. Total buildout of the community is expected to take seven to 10 years.
Amenities will include a market square for gatherings such as farmers markets, a welcome center, a clubhouse, a resort-style pool, a fitness center, a playground, a splash pad and nature trails.
Hutto is growing fast, and Flora could help support the trend. The city’s population more than doubled from 14,698 residents in 2010 to an estimated 36,655 in July 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Williamson County has been growing as well, with its population climbing from 422,679 in 2010 to an estimated 671,418 in July 2022.
In addition to Flora, other recent neighborhoods coming to Hutto include the 90-acre Olander Farms from HL Capital Partners and the 114-acre Limmer Loop development from Ashton Gray Development.
Much of the growth is being propelled by the county's booming industrial base, which includes Samsung's massive semiconductor factory under construction in Taylor just down the road. The Hutto Megasite is also gaining steam.
Many of the area's changes were chronicled at the last Williamson County Growth Summit.
“There's a growing (diverse) population,” said Tom Staub, CEO of Red Oak Development Group, which plans to invest $15 billion to build mini-cities around Central Texas. “And what that means is diversity of ideas, concepts that we can all bring into our communities, and I think really create a thriving community.”"
Source: Austin Business Journal
Written by: Cody Baird
Published: March 26, 2024
Posted by Grossman & Jones Group on
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