Terrell, like other communities on edge of Dallas area, wrestling with immense growth headed its way.
The 1,550-acre Terra Nova development has received final rezoning approval, a step forward for a massive development that will be a source of new commercial activity for the town but also a major source of contention in this small city on the edge of the Metroplex.
Terrell City Council approved the rezoning for the controversial project during its Nov. 4 meeting. Plano-based Main Square Development aims to develop the community featuring 3,600 single-family homes, about 1,200 multifamily units and roughly 145 acres of parks along Griffith Road near FM 245.
Infrastructure work on the project will begin imminently, according to Main Square. The rim anticipates announcing the homebuilders lineup early next year and breaking ground on the first model homes early 2027.
The firm estimates the development to generate over $80 million in annual property tax revenue at full buildout and plans to dedicate six acres for new police and fire facilities. Homes prices in the estimated $3 billion development in the mid $300s.
The company is also working with Terrell ISD to choose ideal locations for future schools, it said in its announcement following the vote.
“We’re being intentional about every detail,” Main Square Development President Hugo Morales said in a statement. “From partnering with quality builders who go beyond the standard, to designing neighborhoods that get families outside and create safer, more connected environments, this is about raising the bar for what a master-planned community can be.”
Several council members mentioned the voluntary annexation of the development into city limits and the extended buildout of 14 to 16 phases as some of the reasoning for supporting the project. Council Member Phil Robison described his support for the project as bittersweet, wishing it was a smaller development but arguing the community needs to brace for growth.
“What we have to remember is we live in a town that’s 35 miles east of downtown Dallas, so it’s not realistic for us to think we can just put a dome over it and put it on an antique shelf,” he said. “It’s important to me to maintain our small town identity, our rural identity. As I see it, this buys us time to slowly respond to the development as it occurs over 20 years. We look at it, and we go, ‘OK, we need more roads now. We need more infrastructure. We got the money from the tax revenue.’ Let’s build this new road. Let’s build this new infrastructure. Let’s build these new utilities components, and over time, you can respond as it grows.”
Some residents continued to voice opposition during the meeting, listing concerns such as inadequate infrastructure, increased traffic and noise, overcrowded schools and rising property taxes. Beto Mesa told the chamber that residents believed “Terra Nova is too large (and) would fundamentally change the character of Terrell” and that “the city should prioritize more modest growth or ensure that development aligns with the community’s values and priorities.”
But the project also received support from some residents, who expressed excitement for all of the amenities the development could bring to the city. That included Eric Brown, who mentioned that while he loves living in Terrell, the city lacks shops and entertainment. The development could help bring more revenue to the community and potentially stop his young kids from asking to go to Forney for something to do, Brown argued.
“Everyone’s talking about a depletion of resources. We don’t have anything to add to these resources because we have no new resources or revenue coming in,” he said. “These homes would at least help us get there. They’re also going to voluntarily annexing in. Let’s just pretend that this doesn’t go through. It’s not like there’s going to be cattle put back onto this property.
Terrell Mayor Rick Carmona concluded the discussion on the project by emphasizing that growth is headed for Terrell and Kaufman County overall. The county experienced the second-fastest percentage growth in the country last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
“I have always been honest since I’ve been mayor that growth is coming. Anybody who misleads you and tells you that the city of Terrell will not grow is lying to you. Anybody tells you that this county is not going to grow is lying to you,” Carmona said. “If you think you live in Forney, Crandall or Kaufman and you’re not going to experience growth, they’re lying to you. I served on the executive board for the North Central Texas Council of Governments. I know the growth patterns and where they’re coming, and unfortunately, that’s just the truth.”
Original version appears in Dallas Business Journal.