Suburbia 2.0: Mixed Use Development & Commuter Rail

» DMN: Development planned for Lewisville commuter-train station (Wendy Hundley)

This ought to make anyone drool over the prospects of adding commuter rail to the Houston area ...

The A-train commuter railway is more than a year away from rolling into Lewisville, but plans are already in the works for the city's first transit-oriented development.

Hebron 121 Station will be part of a 427-acre city reinvestment zone on the northeast corner of Interstate 35E and the State Highway 121 bypass. The developer is describing it as the largest transit-oriented development in Texas. Huffines Communities Inc. is the primary developer of the project.

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Hebron 121 Station is expected to break ground next spring on a 90-acre tract that will eventually include more than 1,700 apartments and 20,000 square feet of commercial space. Huffines said the project will take five to eight years to complete.

At build-out, the project, which could cost $200 million to $250 million, is expected to include a sports pavilion, amphitheater and athletic fields.

Lakes, creeks and a large pool will be key elements in the project. The Elm Fork of the Trinity River will form the eastern boundary at the Carrollton border. A bridge, forming the main entrance to the community, will be built across Timber Creek. The creek will be flanked by a boardwalk and hike-and-bike trails.

Closer to home, County Judge Ed Emmett, of course, is still making the case for launching commuter rail. I would think that the prospect of developing an area along the lines of what Lewisville is doing has to put a spur in someone's saddle to get going on it.

Here's the geography of Lewisville's development-to-come.