Just north of Celina’s historic downtown, the land between Preston Road and Custer Road is changing shape.
What was once an open North Texas landscape is becoming Ramble—Hillwood Communities’ fourth master-planned community. It’s designed to span 1,380 acres and grow into more than 4,000 homes in the coming decades.
The community officially opened on May 14 with a ribbon cutting, but the story is less about a single moment and more about what’s beginning to take form.
Why is Celina the best fit?
For Hillwood Communities, Celina is more than a place to build; it’s a long-term focus. The city’s location along major North Texas corridors, strong schools, beautiful nature and rapid growth make it a fit for large-scale development.
That approach comes from a developer with deep experience in North Texas. Hillwood Communities has been awarded Developer of the Year seven times by the Dallas Builders Association, underscoring its role in shaping master-planned communities.
“Ramble by Hillwood reflects our long-term commitment to bringing top-quality development to fast-growing communities that value a meaningful way of life,” said Fred Balda, president of Hillwood Communities. “From the start of this project, we have worked side by side with our neighbors in Celina to deliver a nature-focused community that fits naturally into their backyard.”
What is taking shape?
Ramble’s first phase is underway, with roughly 600 homesites delivered to builders and model homes open for tours.
The community is being developed in six phases, allowing infrastructure, homes and amenities to come online gradually while the larger vision takes shape over the coming decades. First residents are expected to move in this year.
The goal has been to create an active neighborhood from the start—not one that only becomes complete years later.
Homes across the spectrum
Homes in Ramble reflect diverse lifestyles and life stages, with lot sizes from 40-foot to one-acre homesites.
That mix is paired with established builders shaping the community’s early identity, including American Legend Homes, Coventry Homes, Drees Custom Homes, Highland Homes and Perry Homes.
Pricing starts in the mid-$400,000s to over $1 million, depending on lot size, location and design features.
Instead of relying on repetition, Ramble’s design guidelines encourage architectural variation across builders and homesites, helping maintain visual character and diversity as the neighborhood grows.
Nature first living
The defining idea behind Ramble is the role of nature in everyday life through amenities.
Over 200 acres of preserved open space is integrated into the community plan, along with a 10-foot-wide trail, weaving through the seven-mile park system connecting neighborhoods, amenities, parks, lakes and future gathering spaces. It will connect to more than 86 miles of existing Celina trails, extending the experience beyond Ramble.
“When people leave their home, garage or front porch, that’s their trailhead,” said Howie Yin, project manager for Ramble. “The idea is that access to nature isn’t a destination; it’s something you live in.”
That approach extends to planned amenities, including an on-site coffee house, designed as a walkable gathering place for residents and neighbors.
A full-time lifestyle manager and a director of wellness in nature are already part of the project, reflecting an early focus on programming, connection and outdoor-centered living.
Things to look forward to
The first homes will welcome residents this year, but Ramble is a long-term project developing through nearly 2045.
The phased approach means the community will grow gradually, with schools, amenities and residential sections coming online over time while early residents already experience the trail system, open space and initial gathering areas.
Future amenities include the Turtle Club, a national parks-inspired amenity center with an infinity pool, event lawn, fishing pier, playscape, fitness facility and gathering areas overlooking a pond with a fishing dock. Just down the trail, residents enjoy an 18-acre recreational lake for fishing, picnics and birdwatching.
Two on-site elementary schools are planned as part of the development. The first, Janet H. Calvary Elementary School, is expected to open in fall 2027 and will sit roughly one mile south of Celina High School in the western heart of the community.
Even in its earliest phases, the goal is for Ramble to feel functional—not unfinished.
Being part of Celina
As Celina expands, developments like Ramble are viewed not just as neighborhoods but as pieces of the city.
“Like our historic Downtown Square, we now have another asset that our residents, visitors and prospective families will value,” said Celina Mayor Ryan Tubbs.
For Hillwood, that integration is intentional. The goal is not to create a separate destination, but a community that blends into Celina’s fabric as it grows.
“We’ve worked to make Ramble feel like an extension of Celina, not something set apart from it,” said Howie Yin, project manager for Ramble. “Everything from the trail system to the gathering spaces are designed to connect people back into the city and into each other.”
Experiencing Ramble now
Model homes are now open for touring, offering a chance to see Celina’s newest master-planned community moving from concept to reality.
For more information on Ramble and its features, click here.
The above story was produced by Multi-Platform Journalist Chloe Chapel, with the Community Impact's Storytelling team, using information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
