The first phase of the Cole Ranch development is taking shape in the southwest side of Denton. Hillwood Communities has been working on the project that will turn the former Hunter Ranch and Cole Rach in to a huge 3200-acre master-planned development with roughly 6000 homes. The initial plat of phase I of the project shows over 600 homes on tap. Those homes should be arriving as available inventory in early 2024.

“Preliminary plans call for 663 single family lots, 48 townhome lots, 1 multifamily lot, 7 mixed-use regional lots, and 1 light industrial lot. Right-of-way and easements are also being dedicated. The subject property is zoned Cole Ranch Master Planned Community (MPC).”

Cole Ranch and Hunter Ranch are located near I-35W and Robson Ranch Rd. You will probably recognize Pilot Knob driving down the freeway, a natural rock formation and also one of the highest points in Denton County. The  Cole Ranch/Hunter Ranch project will be mixed-use project. In addition to 6000 homes, it will bring over 3,000 multifamily units, roughly 4 million square feet of commercial space and a million square feet of retail.

The nearby developments of Harvest and Pecan Square have been a big success for Hillwood, and the Cole Ranch/Hunter Ranch development looks to continue with the growth in the Denton area. Judging from the first phase of the Cole Ranch drawings, it appears Hillwood is taking a rather conservative approach in terms of the housing options that will be offered. The 48 townhome lots on the drawing board will be 25′ by 95′. Roughly half of the single-family lots on the preliminary sketch show to be 40′ by 110′. Safe to say those are not going to be luxury homes. The remaining lots show to be either 50’x120′ or 60’x120′.

With dirt commanding a hefty premium developers are putting as many homes as possible on their available real estate. This certainly looks to be the case with the first phase of Cole Ranch. Buyers will have the opportunity to build on some decent lots around the Hickory Creek watershed. Some of the outer perimeter lots are likely going to be less attractive. Large power lines along FM 2449 and Underwood Rd could make for some rather unsightly views. That probably wouldn’t be a concern for some buyers with inventory currently sitting at record lows. When the homes in Cole Ranch do finally end up hitting the market the supply/demand equation could look a lot different.

The good news for now is that more housing supply is on the way.