Formerly known as Springwoods Village, the 2,000-acre, master-planned community located along Spring’s northern border will officially be known as City Place beginning June 29, according to Warren Wilson, CDC Houston executive vice president.
According to Wilson, the rebranding effort is drawing on the popularity of the existing CityPlace, a 60-acre mixed-use development within the master-planned community that includes a central plaza, office buildings, multifamily residential units, lodging, and an expanding roster of restaurants, retail and entertainment offerings.
“CityPlace, where we stand and sit today has become such an important part of what this project is,” Wilson said during the press conference, noting the third phase of development for the master-planned community would focus on a more urban design. “It's a city. It's really becoming a city, and we expect this Phase 3 activity to really take us to that next level of urban design from a residential standpoint. The name Springwoods Village seemed increasingly outdated."
The evolution of Springwoods Village into City Place is coming more than a decade after the master-planned community was first developed. City Place is now home to five corporations, retail offerings and nearly 950 multifamily units. Complementing a pair of existing residential enclaves—Audubon Grove and Harper Woods—in addition to several luxury apartment communities, City Place will add roughly 600 units of single-family and multifamily housing options in the first wave of expanded residential housing in 2023 through a new partnership, officials said.
CDC Houston is partnering with community-planning firm DMB Development on the next phase of growth in City Place. The Arizona-based company has developed residential communities across the western United States for more than 30 years.
According to Brent Herrington, president and CEO of DMB Development, the goal for City Place will be to create an “inside-the-Loop” vibe where residents can do a little bit of everything all within the community.
“What urban planners, urban designers, urban sociologists—what everybody is dreaming about is a scenario where jobs and housing are co-located in big numbers,” Herrington said, noting one of the goals of City Place is to make the entire experience accessible without the use of a car. “Imagine this community where tens of thousands of people work and tens of thousands of people live, and all of the things that they need in their daily lives are there–you know, shopping, dining, entertainment. ... In the world of academia, those who are motivated by making the planet a greater planet, that's what they think needs to happen."
Also joining the development team will be local developer Alex Sutton, who retired in late 2020 from his role as co-president of The Woodlands Development Co.. Sutton is now taking on the role of general manager of the CDC Houston/DMB Development residential joint venture.
“What we're doing is making this commitment, as Brent [Herrington] said, to alternative vehicles, ” Sutton said. "We are making it pedestrian friendly. ... I live that kind of life today actually, so it's great to be able to come over and do that here."
CDC Houston officials also noted two major road extension projects are currently underway to enhance access to City Place. Springwoods Village Parkway is being extended to connect to its interchange with the Grand Parkway, and Energy Drive is being extended south to a new connection at I-45. The projects are expected to be completed in 2022 and late 2021, respectively.
In addition to the new road connections, officials from Harris County Precinct 4 and CDC Houston recently celebrated the completion of a 3-mile trail segment in Spring Creek Greenway that connects Rothwood Park to City Place.
To date, City Place has attracted major employers such as Hewlett Packard Enterprise, ExxonMobil, HP Inc., Southwestern Energy, St. Luke’s Health and the American Bureau of Shipping. Officials noted the master-planned community's workforce is approaching 20,000 people.
Residents looking for more information can visit City Place's rebranded website at www.cityplacenow.com.
