Although no date has been given for the start of construction, The Woodlands Development Company has began design work on 23-acre Mitchell Island, off the east shore of Lake Woodlands.

Tim Welbes, co-president of the Development Company, said Mitchell Island, named after Woodlands founder George Mitchell, will feature 19 high-end homes on at least 1 acre lots.

Beyond that, not much is known, particularly design elements or home styles.

"If there is a crown jewel on East Shore it's Mitchell Island," he said.

Welbes said the parcel of land was on The Woodlands' master plan to house the headquarters of The Mitchell Energy and Development Company, but as more corporate offices were developed throughout Town Center, those plans changed.

"The corporate office demand was not enough to warrant that much land in addition to Town Center, so the plan was modified to [include] residential," he said.

Throughout the history of The Woodlands development, each village features its own enclave of larger, more expensive homes, Welbes said, such as Carlton Woods in the Village of Alden Bridge and Grogan's Point in the Village of Grogan's Mill.

"We held off on Mitchell Island, thinking it would be an exclusive, extraordinarily unique address," Welbes said. "Then we thought, how do you go about doing that? How do you dictate the architecture?"

He said more details and formal plans could be announced on Mitchell Island in about a year.