A Flourish of new homes, businesses in Georgetown

Residences before council in '07 could total more that 14,000

Growth was the name of the game in 2007 as many new subdivisions and retail outlets gained approval from the Georgetown City Council. Three of the more major ventures include Water Oak at San Gabriel, Goodwater and, most recently approved, Longhorn Junction.

4,000 Homes in Water Oak

Water Oak at San Gabriel is a new subdivision that is being developed on the north side of Leander Road just west of town. Plans include 4,000 new homes. The community will be reserving 680 of the final expected 2,000 acres for parks and hike and bike trails along the river. There will be 25 "pocket parks" scattered throughout the development. Also, a total of 100 acres will be dedicated to commercial and mixed-use development.

The project is being developed by Galo Properties of San Antonio, who purchased the land from many different owners. Homes in the subdivision are expected to be in the $250,000 to $1 million price range. All of this means a big boost to city property tax revenues when completed. As it stands now, each $250,000 home could bring in up to $5,000 annually.

Up to 10,000 in Goodwater

Another large development is Goodwater, which is expected to cover 600 acres near the intersection of State Highway 195 and Shell Road. The new subdivision will be segmented into four "pedestrian sheds," which are each mini neighborhoods where everything - homes, parks and a square-like neighborhood center - is within walking distance and integrated with commercial and retail properties.

Perhaps the most interesting part of this place will be the 40 acre lake that will be separated into nine bays carved from the limestone bedrock and ringed by a 40-acre green belt. David Singleton, owner of Southwest Land Services Incorporated of Leander, is a named developer of the project. Goodwater is not expected to be fully completed any time soon, with a 12 to 15 year time line in place. However, when complete, there will be an expected 8,000 to 10,000 residents.

An almost fully commercial area is planned for the area near Inner Loop and 1460.

Destination Longhorn

Longhorn Junction is expected to cover 350 acres and be a "destination" shopping center. Along with shopping, the hope is to make the development an entertainment destination as well. The area is already home to a completed CitiCorp Data Center, and retailer Bass Pro Shops has shown interest in being a part of the shopping center.

The center is expected to cover 800,000 to 1 million square feet of space. According to the developers, Bourne Partners, Longhorn Junction would only include upscale retailers, much like the ones found at the outlet mall in Round Rock. Pending City Council approvals, ground could be broken on the development as early as 2009.

Many other subdivisions are being planned within the city limits. La Cantera will have 500 single family units, the Oaks at San Gabriel will have 900, Pinnacle will have 450. Of those, 100 are complete. Shadow Canyon is also being planned, with 675 single family homes and 430 multifamily buildings. Summerset Hills is set to be one of the larger developments, with 3,700 single family units and 500 multifamily units.