New planned development aiming to become heart of Manvel breaks ground

The shiny shovels were out as several people, including Manvel council members, city leaders and developers gathered to celebrate a new planned development in the city.

Hillwood Communities, a national commercial and residential real estate developer, on May 17 led the groundbreaking of Valencia, a new planned development in Manvel.

“We are excited about the future it holds,” said Russell Bynum, a general manager for Hillwood Communities focusing on the Houston area. “We are particularly excited to have our second community in the fast growing, and city on the rise, Manvel.”

The development is expected to bring 940 homes to the development. It will also feature nearly 30 acres of commercial properties, a proposed elementary school and space to house a new Manvel City Hall and other city facilities, Bynum told Community Impact Newspaper.

Additionally, it will include a recreation center, parks, several diamond fields for both baseball and softball, rectangle fields for soccer and football, and miles of trails that connect with other areas in Manvel. The community is planned to open in summer 2023, Bynum said.

“This addition to the community isn’t just an exciting thing for today or the next five years,” said Cary Perrin, Manvel-Alvin Area Chamber of Commerce president. “This is an exciting thing for the next century for the city of Manvel.”