By Kelly Schafler

After an announcement earlier this summer, the Howard Hughes Corporation hosted a ground breaking ceremony for its newest 2,000-acre master-planned community, The Woodlands Hills, on Nov. 15.

Located 13 miles north of The Woodlands near I-45, The Woodlands Hills will feature 112 acres of open space, more than 20 neighborhood parks connected by hiking and bike trails and the 17-acre Village Park. It will also offer an event hall, fitness center, a resort-style pool with a beach entry and a lazy river, according to a release from the company.

“Leveraging our 40 years of experience developing some of the most successful master-planned communities in the country, The Howard Hughes Corporation will develop The Woodlands Hills with the high- quality standards and design principles that have made The Woodlands and Bridgeland two of the best-selling master-planned communities in Texas,” said David R. Weinreb, CEO of The Howard Hughes Corporation, in a statement.

While the development features only paved roadways and coves of trees so far, developers plan to announce homebuilders and begin construction of an amenity center by the end of the year, officials said.

The development will bring more than 4,500 homes to the area in the next 10-15 years, said Heath Melton, vice president of master-planned communities for The Howard Hughes Corporation. Homebuilders will be announced in late December or early January, with the first single-family model homes debuting in April during a grand opening ceremony.

Homes in the development are expected to be built at or above the 500-year flood plain with engineering and drainage systems, according to Tim Welbes, co-president of The Woodlands Development Company.

“The Woodlands Hills will be designed and engineered to meet all regulatory requirements,” Welbes said. “The land and topography appear to be mostly above the 500-year elevation, and we will be developing lots which will afford the builders the opportunity to design and build homes with first floor elevations which will be at or above the 500-year elevation.”