HOUSTON — Renowned land developer Coventry Development Corp. has announced plans to create a new master-planned community in the greater Houston metropolitan area. Known as Springwoods Village, the new community will be developed on approximately 1,800 acres located along Interstate 45 approximately 30 miles north of downtown Houston.
While the community will be slowly developed along a 15- to 20-year timetable, initial plans call for 4,500 to 5,000 homes, 8.5 million square feet of commercial office space and 1.2 million square feet of retail space. The residences will comprise a mix of single-family homes starting at $200,000 as well as luxury rental units and urban-style condominiums priced between $100,000 and $400,000. According to a preliminary site plan, the single-family homes will be situated in a low-density area on the project's western end, while the apartments and condos will be situated in medium- and high-dentiy areas on the eastern side of the project. Farther east of the residential zones will be a mixed-use, town center-style area and an office/commercial zone that will front the interstate. As the community is built out, schools, libraries and emergency services will be constructed.
One of the highlights of Springwoods Village is its commitment to sustainability, especially when it comes to land conservation. A 150-acre nature preserve on the project's northern end will provide habitat space for wildlife as well as recreation opportunities for residents. The preserve will connect to the new Spring Creek Greenway, an ambitious conservation project that is being undertaken by Harris and Montgomery counties. The goal of the new greenway is to protect as greenspace up to 33 linear miles of land along Spring Creek — totaling up to 12,000 acres of forested land.
In addition to the preserve, two protected land tracts will bisect the project north to south. The first is the Savannah Park Corridor, which is located in the middle of Springwoods Village at the western edge of the Town Center and Midtown Districts. This corridor will consist of a reconstructed wetland savannah habitat that will provide protected greenspace, recreation opportunities and stormwater management for the surrounding community. Town Lake Park, which is located at the eastern edge of the commercial district, will serve a similar function. Even the orientation of the project is designed with the environment in mind. The higher density areas of the project are being oriented so the streets provide “wind alleys” that will allow prevailing winds to ventilate the community.
Keith Simon, senior vice president with Conventry, could not be reached in time for comment, but in a statement he explains, “As one of the most powerful cities for commerce in the United States, Houston's population and resulting commute times continue to grow. Houstonians, both long-time and newcomers, are demanding a new kind of community such as Springwoods Village: a sustainable, greener, smarter way of suburban life where work, family and nature coexist in close proximity rather than via commute.”
Springwoods Village is not the only master-planned community that has sprouted up in north Houston. Just north of the project is The Woodlands, a similar master-planned community that is entering its fifth decade of development. Springwoods Village is also not the first community Coventry has developed. Its most recent project is RidgeGate, a 3,500-acre project that began construction in 2001 in the Denver suburb of Lone Tree, Colo.
Along with the announcement, Coventry has launched a new website with more information about Springwoods Village at www.springwoodsvillage.com.
— Coleman Wood