Airia Development Co.—the company behind the master-planned community of Aliana in Richmond—announced via a Feb. 26 news release that the company will soon begin construction on Artavia, a new 2,200-acre, master-planned community in the Conroe area. Located south of Hwy. 242 between I-45 and Hwy. 59, the development will bring 5,200 single-family homes to the Conroe area in the next 12 years, Airia Development Co. President Travis Stone said via email. He said the community will be built out in phases, with Phase 1 showcasing 456 homesites ranging in sizes from 50- to 70-foot lots. “We came up with the name, and loosely translated it means 'art road,'" Stone said. "We did not realize until later that there was a small town in northern Spain called Artavia. It is really uncanny how similar the typography and the land feels.” According to the release, Phase 1 homes will range in price from the $280,000s-$500,000s, and the estimated value of the community at build-out will be $2.4 billion. Construction on the community's first model homes is anticipated to begin in the next month and be completed by summer, Stone said. However, Airia Development Co. began paving roads and creating infrastructure for the community in September, Stone said. The community, which was formerly referred to as the Star Ridge Ranch development, will feature more than 120 acres of mixed-use commercial and retail development, according to the release. It will also include a 13-acre community complex featuring a clubhouse, a 24-hour fitness center, a cafe and a gathering area. Additionally, the complex will be located near a 5-acre lake and surrounded by outdoor living spaces, such as a playground, a nature-exploration area, an event lawn and an interconnected forested trail system, according to the release. Students living in the Artavia community will attend Conroe ISD; however, which schools the students will attend has not yet been determined.