Hillwood Communities Breaks Ground on Harvest, a Master-Planned Community Rooted in Denton County, Texas Agrarian Lifestyle

Ross Perot, Sr. drives truck to move historical house for celebration

NORTHLAKE, Texas & ARGYLE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hillwood Communities, in partnership with Realty Capital, has broken ground on Harvest, a 1,000 acre master-planned, mixed use development located in Northlake/Argyle, Texas at the northwest corner of Interstate Highway 35W and FM 407, two exits north of State Highway 114 in Alliance, Texas. To celebrate the new community based on an agrarian lifestyle, Ross Perot, Sr. drove a truck that moved the historical Faught House, which has set on the property for 130 years. The house will be restored for use as a community center and gathering area for the residential development.

“We are looking at communities with recreational space, edible landscapes, community-supported agriculture, possibilities for volunteerism. There’s a whole new vision for how communities might mature—more like the way a small community might have developed into a small town on its own in the past.”

You can see raw video of the house being moved here: http://youtu.be/S_LnknN2N_4

Approximately 3,000 single-family homes are planned for Harvest ranging in price from the $200s - $400s. The first phase consists of 323 homes with a range of lot sizes and will be centered around a core of amenities such as the 12-acre Harvest Lake, Community Pools, Hike & Bike Trails, Amphitheater, Community Farm, Community Center, Playgrounds, Parks, Event Center, Practice Fields, etc.

Harvest is the first Hillwood Communities development based on Hillwood’s five LiveSmart design principles of: Sense of community; technology; healthy living; environmental stewardship; and education and enrichment. Hillwood is partnering with Atmos, Verizon, Coserv, Environments for Living and Premier Communities to deliver the LiveSmart design.

“Harvest has been thoughtfully designed around our LiveSmart concepts from start to finish,” said Fred Balda, President of Hillwood Communities. “The heart of Harvest is to provide residents with a long-lasting, livable, walkable community able to meet their needs. The idea is to protect and enhance the site’s rural character while introducing smart design principles that ensure quality, low impact living.”

One of those smart design principles is having the community’s own Harvest Farmer onsite to grow fresh, organic farm-to-table produce at the Community Farm. Rocky Tassione and his wife Celeste, have been providing locally grown microgreens, specialty lettuces, vegetable specialties and herbs for the Dallas-Ft. Worth restaurant and grocer trade since 1997. Tassione will teach residents and the community how to grow their own produce like the families in Northlake did a hundred years ago.

“Harvest represents a page out of the lifestyle that many Denton County families are rooted in,” said Ross Perot Jr., Chairman of Hillwood. “Urban agrarianism is a fresh approach to modern life that reaps the rewards of sustainability, healthy living, and a grassroots community in a rural setting. Our vision is to bring people together and cultivate an appreciation for the land as well as foster an active, caring environment where urban farmers, gardeners and farm-to-table entrepreneurs can thrive.”

Randal W. Jackson, a member of the Urban Land Institute’s Community Development Council says agriculture is the new golf course. “We are looking at communities with recreational space, edible landscapes, community-supported agriculture, possibilities for volunteerism. There’s a whole new vision for how communities might mature—more like the way a small community might have developed into a small town on its own in the past.”

Homes in Harvest will be built by David Weekley, MHI and Highland Homes. Additional amenities in Harvest will bring residents together like the Event Lawn and Ice House. Harvest is in the highly acclaimed Argyle Independent School District, including an elementary school and middle school onsite. The location offers easy access to the major employers and retail destinations such as Alliance Texas, Texas Motor Speedway, Southlake Town Square, Lake Grapevine, Denton, and the University of North Texas.

About Hillwood Communities:

Hillwood Communities is a multifaceted residential development company committed to building world-class communities for families since 1988. Hillwood has also built a powerful reputation as one of the most highly-regarded and well-known developers in the business. The company has delivered more than 22,000 single-family lots in more than 60 communities with 35 active communities. What began in its home market of Dallas-Fort Worth has now expanded into other Texas markets—Austin, San Antonio and Houston and major markets, including Wyoming, Florida, California, Nevada, Hawaii and Costa Rica. More information can be found at hillwoodcommunities.com.

Hillwood, (www.hillwood.com) a Perot company, is ranked as one of the top commercial real estate developers in the country and the top residential developer in Dallas-Fort Worth. In addition to AllianceTexas, Hillwood is best known for its development of AllianceCalifornia near Los Angeles and the $420-million American Airlines Center near downtown Dallas.